Grigory Karasin: Russia, Georgia to implement the bilateral agreement, including upon request of Armenia
Georgian PM’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze will meet with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, in Prague, next week. In an interview with Kommersant newspaper Karasin has noted the main topic of the upcoming talks would be the implementation of the 2011 Russian-Georgian agreement on customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods.
“This international treaty sets out the precise geographic coordinates of the sites where the Georgian customs checkpoints will be located. These sites include Kazbegi on the border with Russia, an area south of the Inguri River, beyond which lies the Republic of Abkhazia, and the area near Gori on the border with the Republic of South Ossetia,” Karasin said.
Asked, whether Armenia will be the main beneficiary of the agreement or in other words, Moscow is doing that primarily at the request of Yerevan, deputy foreign minister has noted: “It is true that Armenia has asked for our assistance, but the case in point concerns a Swiss-mediated bilateral agreement between Russia and Georgia. This agreement does not stipulate any obligations by other countries, such as Abkhazia or South Ossetia.”