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Senior Russian, Georgian diplomats stress significance of further Moscow-Tbilisi dialogue

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told TASS the meeting with special envoy of the Georgian PM for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, was fruitful despite some tense tonality

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin

© EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

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Dialogue with Russia to be maintained and continued — Georgian official

PRAGUE, February 26. /TASS/. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and the special envoy of the Georgian Prime Minister for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, who had a meeting in Prague on Thursday stated significance of a further dialogue between Russia and Georgia.

"The meeting was fruitful although it was held in a tense tonality," Karasin told TASS. "This tension stems from the nervousness created by the opposition forces that are trying to call into question the normalization of relations between Moscow and the Georgian government."

"There were many questions on the agenda but we don't have any topics that would be barred from discussions at these consultations," he said.

The sides stated progress that was made in 2014 in some spheres embraced by the discussions.

"For the most part, this concerned trade relations, restoration of transport infrastructures, regular passenger services on the ground and in the air," Karasin said.

"We raised the problems of collaboration between the Georgian and Russian customs services and law enforcement agencies in struggle with terrorism and drugs trafficking," he said.

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