Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 20 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /
Georgia's opportunity to oppose Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization is not high, especially now when the United States and the EU are interested in such a move, Russian political analyst Yevgeni Minchenko beleives.
"Today, the West could exert pressure on Georgia, so that it doesn't prevent Russia's accession into WTO," Minchenko told Trend over the phone from Moscow. Minchenko is the director of the Russian International Institute of Political Expertise.
Russia and the EU have officially completed bilateral talks on the terms of Russia's accession into the WTO. Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina and European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht signed a memorandum of understanding on the terms of Russia's accession into the WTO in Brussels on Dec.7.
According to WTO rules, a new member's entry into the organization must be approved by all member countries. Even after coordinting all of the issues with the organization's most influential representatives, Russia will not be able to enter the trading club without Georgia's approval, as the country has been a full member of WTO since 2000.
On the other hand, according to Minchenko, a dialogue between the two countries on Russia's WTO accession is inevitable. But speaking about the full restoration of a dialogue is impossible as long as Mikheil Saakashvili is in power in Georgia, he said.
In this case, Russia's willingness to dialogue directly with Georgia is very high, expert believe.
Speaking about the declared Georgia's willingness to dialogue, Minchenko said that it is not quite clear what format Tbilisi offers.
"If the question is about the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, then the Russian position is clear and unchangeable," he said.
Military actions were launched in the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia in August 2008. Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali, with Russian troops later occupying the city. The Russian armed forces drove the Georgian military back into Georgia proper. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Aug. 26 and established diplomatic ties with the de facto states on Sept. 9, 2008.