Government Administration Press Office released official information about the regular meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin was held in Prague under the Georgia-Russia Informal Dialogue.

“Although the Prague format does not include issues related to security and Georgia’s occupied territories, Zurab Abashidze, at the meeting’s outset, emphasized the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, and spoke of flagrant violations of international law and particular cases of disregard for the principles of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The role of the Geneva International Talks as the main format of Georgia-Russia discussions on security and humanitarian issues was emphasized. Zurab Abashidze expressed concern over the absence of progress in said format.
The Prague meeting agenda included the trade and economic relations between the two countries, and the state of affairs in the areas of trade, transport, and tourism. In this context, the parties summarized the results of 2018 and discussed this year’s prospects. Given that a number of Georgian companies are engaged in said areas, ways to protect their interests and solve their problems were proposed.

The conversation also covered the issues related to the implementation of the 2011 Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation on Key Principles of Monitoring Mechanisms for Customs Administration and Trade in Goods.
As it was pointed out, problems arising in relation to the full commencement of the agreement must be resolved within the working groups established by the joint committee under the agreement.
Property and humanitarian issues were also discussed. The date of the next Prague visit has yet to be determined”, – the information released by Press Office reads.