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Resumption of Russia-Georgia trading, cultural relations possible soon - Ivanishvili

New, Ivanishvili-led Cabinet is to be approved at the parliament’s session on October 25

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

TBILISI, October 24 (Itar-Tass) — The candidate for the post of Georgia’s prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili, sees certain chances for the restoration of trading and cultural relations between his country and Russia.

“I am unable to name the day when this may happen,” Ivanishvili said at a meeting with members of the parliamentary majority from the United National Movement party on Wednesday in Kutaisi. “But I believe that restoring trading and cultural relations between Georgia and Russia will be possible before long.”

He noted, “The resumption of trade relationship between the two countries meet their interests.” “There is a hope that Russia will remove all barriers and lift restrictions on Georgian products import. I have no agreements with Russia and there are no contacts with the Russian authorities in this aspect. I feel there are chances for lifting these restrictions,” Ivanishvili said.

“In due time Russia’s restrictions on import of Georgian products have been conditioned by Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili’s statement,” he stressed.

In August Ivanishvili said, “President Saakashvili’s non-diplomatic statements on the Russian leadership led to Georgia lost the opportunity to import agricultural products to Russia long before.” Then Ivanishvili pledged that “If his coalition comes to power, the Georgian Dream will do its best to resume Georgian agricultural supplies to the Russian Federation”.

Earlier, Saakashvili said, “The Russian authorities took decisions that banned Georgian agricultural products supplies in order to put pressure on the country’s leadership.”

A new, Ivanishvili-led Cabinet is to be approved at the parliament’s session on October 25.

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