Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, David Dondua responded on January 25 to the statements of his Russian counterpart, Grigory Karasin, made in an interview with Kommersant newspaper, where the latter reiterated that Russia will not withdraw its recognition of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, and made comments regarding the 2011 trade monitoring agreement between Georgia and Russia.

The Georgian MFA said that in his statements Karasin “once again highlights Russia’s policy disregarding Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and neglecting the implementation of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement,” and stressed that “Russian Federation continues the military occupation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia and illegal military build-up therein, destabilizing the situation in entire region, and blatantly violates the fundamental rights of the local population.”

The MFA statement also made clarifications regarding the 2011 trade monitoring agreement.

Karasin claimed in his interview released on January 25 that by the 2011 agreement Georgia had accepted that its “customs border” started at points beyond the Russian-occupied territory: “a place to the south of river Enguri, beyond which is the territory of the republic of Abkhazia, and outskirts of Gori, near the border of the republic of South Ossetia.”

The Georgian Foreign Ministry denied this, saying it was “totally unacceptable to politicize, misinterpret and hamper the implementation of the 2011 Georgia-Russia Agreement on the Basic Principles for a Mechanism of Customs Administration and Monitoring of Trade in Goods,” and adding clarifications regarding the purpose of the said agreement:

“With the accession to the World Trade Organization, the Russian Federation undertook the obligation to ensure the transparency of trade data, according to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. In 2011, the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian Federation agreed to establish the monitoring mechanism of the international trade in the corridors defined beforehand. According to the Agreement, the monitoring and administration of this trade must be conducted in the terminals that are located at the exit and entry of the trade corridors.”

The MFA stressed that customs territory of Georgia “comprises the whole territory of the country within its internationally recognized borders,” and that “the customs territory of the country cannot be defined by the location of the above mentioned terminals.”

The Georgian Foreign Ministry also said that Georgia’s readiness to start the implementation of this agreement was “demonstrated by signing the relevant Contract with the Swiss company - Societe Generale de Surveillance, on 19 December 2017,” but that implementation has not started yet since “Russia hinders signature of the relevant Contract with the Swiss company, vividly politicizes the issue and impedes the starting of the implementation process through deliberate misinterpretation of provisions of the Agreement.”

The Ministry called on Russia “to cease the politicization of the issue and start the unconditional implementation of its international obligations, in full respect for the international agreement and WTO’s principles, norms and goals.”