Russian, Georgian diplomats to discuss ties, easing of visa rules by Russia

PRAGUE, March 16. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and Georgian envoy for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze meet in Prague on Wednesday to discuss cooperation between the two countries as well as the easing of visa restrictions by Russia. "Within the current year, Russia may cancel the visa regime for Georgia, the Russian president and the Russian Foreign Ministry have earlier spoken about this," the diplomat said. Besides, the two diplomats will discuss trade, economic, transport cooperation as well as humanitarian issues. Visa requirements between the two countries were imposed in 2000. In 2004 Georgia unilaterally simplified visa issuing procedures for Russian nationals, who began receiving visas for a term between one and three months directly upon their arrival in the country. From March 1, 2012 Georgia abolished visas at all. On December 2, 2015 the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia would simplify visa applications for Georgian nationals from December 23 and did not rule out a reciprocal visa-free regime. At a news conference in Moscow on December 7, 2015, President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready to scrap visa requirements for Georgia. Karasin and Abashidze have held 11 meetings since December 2012, 10 of them took place in Prague. The last round of their dialogue was held on November 19, 2015. On November 20, the press service of Georgia’s government said that "the latest Prague meeting resulted in concrete agreements, in particular expanding the list of Georgian products presented in the Russian market and increasing haulage capacity. Relations between the two countries soured when on August 8, 2008, Georgian forces attacked the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia sent its forces into the region to protect the citizens of South Ossetia, many of whom held Russian passports, and expelled the Georgian forces. Russia then recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after which Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with it. Read more