ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
November 1, 2004 Monday
Russia transport min in Tbilisi for talks on traffic via Abkhazia
By Eka Mekhuzla, Tengiz Pachkoria
TBILISI
Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin who is co-chairman of the
Russian part of the Russian-Georgian intergovernmental commission for
economic cooperation issues arrived in Tbilisi on a one-day visit on
Monday.
Levitin intends to discuss with the head of the Georgian part of the
commission Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania matters pertaining to the
preparation of the next session of the commission to be held in the
first half of 2005.
Levitin told reporters in Tbilisi, “As the Russian transport minister I
shall consider in Tbilisi issues of transport services in the
trans-Caucasian states and the organisation of ferry crossing between
the ports of Poti (Georgia) and Kavkaz (Russia).”
“I also intend to study Tbilisi’s approaches towards the opening of
through railway connection along the entire length of the former
Transcaucasian railway,” he said.
Georgian Economics Minister Kakha Bendukidze said for his part the
sides “will discuss issues of railway traffic resumption between
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and restoration of traffic between the
Transcaucasian countries and Russia.”
Sources in the Russian embassy in Georgia told Itar-Tass Levitin would
also hold talks with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
In October, the Russian transport minister paid a visit to Armenia
where he also discussed the resumption of the Russian-Armenian through
railway connection via the Abkhazian section of the Georgian railway.
Traffic through this stretch was interrupted after an armed conflict in
Abkhazia began in August 1992.
The Georgian side has not once stated in recent years it is ready to
discuss the issue of opening of through traffic along this section
“synchronously with the process of organised return of refugees to
Abkhazia.”
The Russian Transport Ministry’s spokesperson Svetlana Kryshtanovskaya
cited Levitin as saying at his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister
Zurab Zhvania on Monday that bilateral trade reached 237 million
dollars in 2003, up 48 percent as against the 2002 figure.
Russia is Georgia’s biggest trade partner. Trade with Russia accounts
for 15 percent of Georgia’s foreign trade.
Russia’s exports to Georgia comprise electric power, products of
chemical industry and metallurgy, equipment and trucks.
Russia’s imports from Georgia are wine, mineral water, ferroalloys and
other goods.
The trade turnover between Georgia and Russia reached 203.5 million
dollars in January to August 2004, which is 34 percent above the figure
of the same period in 2003.