Tbilisi. Rapprochement with EU does not hamper development of Georgia-Russia trade relations, head of the Georgian Government Irakli Gharibashvili stated at the World Economic Forum in Dalian (China).
On Wednesday, September 9, Gharibashvili delivered a speech at the session The Modern Silk Road in the framework of the forum.
"Rapprochement with EU is our goal. I should say that it is not an obstacle for our strong economic relations with Asian countries and does not hamper development of firm and pragmatic relations with Russia. The new government, I represent, pursues pragmatic policy regarding our neighbors, especially regarding Russia", Gharibashvili stressed.
After the war in August 2008, Moscow recognized unilaterally independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In response Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. On the decision of the Georgian Parliament, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have the occupied regions status in Georgia.
Having come to power as a result of the 2012 parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream coalition named normalization relations with RF to be one of the main priorities of the country's foreign policy, but not at the expense of its territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, in July 2014 Georgian signed in Brussels the Associated Agreement with the EU, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement.