Eurasia Press & News
Moscow is ready to accept the compromise on WTO accession proposed by Switzerland, which is mediating talks between Russia and Georgia, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday, November 3, RIA Novosti reported.
Russia has endeavored to join the WTO since 1993 and needs to reach individual agreements with all 153 members of the WTO. The last remaining obstacle to its admission is Georgia, which has refused to give Russia the go-ahead since the two countries fought a brief war in August 2008.
Switzerland has sponsored the negotiations between the two countries, which severed diplomatic ties after Russia recognized two former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.
“We are ready to accept compromise ideas on which we worked together with Switzerland,” Medvedev said.
Tbilisi’s main demand was to introduce international monitoring of cargoes on the border between Russia and Georgia’s former republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Russia recognized as independent states.
The Russian leader said he “fully confirmed” the information voiced earlier on Thursday by Russia’s chief WTO negotiator Maxim Medvedekov, who said Russia and Georgia have finally reached an agreement in the WTO talks.
