Clinton, Georgian minister discuss Russia's joining WTO

WASHINGTON, September 27 (Itar-Tass) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and Georgia's Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze held talks on the
sidelines of the 66th UN General Assembly Session here Monday, an official
at the U.S. Department of State said.
"The Secretary [:] saw Georgian Foreign Minister Vashadze this morning
for about 25 minutes," a report placed at the Department of State's
official website quoted him as saying.
"The bulk of that meeting was spent discussing the Swiss effort to
mediate between Russia and Georgia with regard to issues outstanding in
Russia's application to join the World Trade Organization," the official
said.
"And as she did with Foreign Minister Lavrov last week, Secretary
urged Foreign Minister Vashadze to make the most of the Swiss mediation
proposal and to try to make progress to close the gaps when the
delegations meet in the next week and a half," the official said.
"They also discussed Afghanistan, where Georgia is on its way to
becoming the largest non-NATO troop contributor," he went on. "The
Secretary thanked Foreign Minister Vashadze and Georgia for the recent
commitment of an extra battalion of Georgian troops for Afghanistan, which
will bring the Georgian total to 1,700."
"They also talked at some length about medical care and support that
the U.S. is providing for Georgian soldiers wounded in combat in
Afghanistan and U.S. military support for Georgian forces in Afghanistan."
"And the final issue in that meeting was the Secretary's stressing of
the importance, as Georgia enters an election season in 2012 and 2013, of
free, fair, and transparent elections in Georgia," the official said.
He indicated that "both Georgian Foreign Minister Vashadze and
National Security Advisor Bokeria stressed that Georgia intends to make a
qualitative leap forward in the quality of its elections" and the thank
the U.S. for the help it provides through IRI and NDI "to continue to
improve Georgian election process."
Russia and Georgia resumed talks on Russia's joining the WTO in March.
The negotiations are held in Berne, with Switzerland acting as a mediator.
The most recent meeting between the Russian and Georgian delegations
was held in Geneva September 12.