Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin, held a telephone conversation with Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, on April 22 to exchange views on number of bilateral issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"In the sphere of trade a progress has been noted in a dialogue through [Russia’s state consumer protection agency] RosPotrebNadzor and [Russia's food safety watchdog] Rosselkhoznadzor on access of Georgian wines, mineral waters and agricultural products on the Russian market," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

"The sides have welcomed intensification of humanitarian ties. An agreement on round-the-clock work of a border crossing point Verkhny Lars-Kazbegi from June 1 to September 30 was noted with satisfaction," it said.

Karasin and Abashidze plan to hold a meeting, third of this kind, in early June, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The last time the two diplomats met was on March 1 in Prague.