TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nikoloz Vashakidze says he hopes that Switzerland will finish selecting the company which will conduct monitoring of goods passing the Russia-Georgia border.

Georgia agreed to accept Russia as a WTO member in November 2011, on the condition that international observers will monitor trade coordination and the flow of the goods across the Russian-Georgian border, in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia (Kveda Zaramagi checkpoint), in another breakaway region Abkhazia (Psou checkpoint), and at the checkpoint Kazbegi-Zemo Larsi.

The agreement also foresees the exchange of digital information.

It was decided that Switzerland will oversee the monitoring and select a private company to carry it out. The process of selecting that company has not yet finished.

Vashakidze also stated that Switzerland is continuing work on selecting a company for the job. He said he thinks the process will end in 2-3 weeks and it will be then agreed with Georgia.

“It is important to us that the mandate of the company, which will conduct appropriate obligations, is clearly defined and complies with the agreement achieved with the Russian Federation through Switzerland and which is related to Russia’s WTO membership.”