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Moscow, Tbilisi to have talks before end of Q1 2021, says Georgian PM’s envoy

According to the Georgian diplomat, the final agenda will be agreed later. He said he did not rule out the list of issues to be discussed could be extended

TBILISI, January 19. /TASS/. The situation in economic relations, humanitarian ties and transport issues will be in the focus of talks between Georgian prime minister’s special envoy for settlement of relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and member of Russian Federation Council upper parliament house Grigory Karasin.

"We plan to hold talks we Karasin in the first quarter of the year, maybe, in February or March. It will be an online meeting. It would be better to have an offline meeting but the epidemic situation does not allow such a possibility as of yet. We plan to discuss traditional matters, such as transport, economic relations and humanitarian ties," Abashidze told TASS on Tuesday.

According to the Georgian diplomat, the final agenda will be agreed later. He said he did not rule out the list of issues to be discussed could be extended.

Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Russia after the latter recognized Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s independence in 2008. Since 2012, direct dialogue between the two countries has been maintained only via meetings between Georgian prime minister’s envoy for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and member of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house and former deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin. Their latest offline meeting was held in Prague in November 2019. Another round of consultations were scheduled for March 2020 but due to the coronavirus pandemic the sides decided to switch to an online format of talks. The latest online round of consultations was held in November 2020.

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