Georgia, Tbilisi, April 19 / Trend, N. Kirtskhalia /
Georgia's position regarding Russia's accession into the WTO will not change, Georgian First Deputy Speaker Mikheil Machavariani said.
The Georgian side's requirements in connection with Russia's WTO membership are based on the fundamental principles of this organization, Machavariani told reporters.
"We are in talks with Russia based on the norms of the WTO charter. These norms envisage the coincidence with economic borders and customs checkpoints. At this stage Russia does not meet any rule, at the same time Georgian products are banned on the Russian market only because they are Georgian products," Machavariani said.
He said that the politicization of Russia's WTO membership will not happen.
Russia has been seeking WTO membership since 1993. The main obstacle for Russia's accession is Georgia's position, which left the negotiation process on Russia's accession into the WTO in late April 2008 in protest against the Russian President's orders to lift economic sanctions against Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There are no diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia. They were severed after the 2008 war and recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Moscow.