Russia, Georgia Strike WTO Deal

A Russian negotiator announced that Russia has reached an agreement with Georgia that would clear the path for Russia to join the World Trade Organization after 18 years of delay. Maksim Medvedkov, Russia’s envoy to the talks in Geneva, said Moscow had agreed to a Swiss-mediated proposal that would allow for the monitoring of trade flow between Russia and Georgia. Medvedkov said the monitoring plan “does not depart from the framework of Russia’s principled position.” “We are pleased that Georgia supports the project, and that an agreement has finally been reached,” he said. Georgia, in turn, seems to be happy with the outcome of the negotiations. "We have always wanted to control [movement] of cargo either directly or by international monitoring. That's exactly what the World Trade Organization regulates and that's what our proposal to Russia has been. After launch of an open aggression it has of course become very complicated," Georgian Presdient Mikheil Saakashvili said a day earlier. "I want to thank you for a very difficult and thorough work you have done in this difficult negotiating process," Saakashvili told the Georgian negotiators.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1809765
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/world/europe/russia-says-it-will-join-wto-in-deal-with-georgia.html
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=24094