“Railway Traffic Between Russia and Georgia Not on Agenda, Georgian Authorities Say”

Kobahidze said that the issue of railway traffic between Russia and Georgia is not on the agenda and the authorities make any decisions according to the interests of the country.

“Any of our decisions are made according to the principles that correspond to our national interests. Currently, this issue is not on the agenda, so I do not consider its actualization correct,” the politician was quoted as saying by local media.

The president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on May 12 that Russia wants to “organize rail transit along the Silk Road: China – Bandarabas port in Iran – Astara in Iran, Astara in Azerbaijan, Gebele in Azerbaijan, Marneuli in Georgia, through the territory of Abkhazia to Russia”.

Railway traffic between Russia and Georgia was stopped after the Abkhazia war in the early 90s of the last century.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on May 10, which provides for the restoration of air traffic with Georgia, which was suspended in 2019, as well as the cancellation of the visa regime for Georgian citizens. The decision was welcomed by representatives of the Ukrainian government, noting that there are up to a million Georgian citizens in Russia and this will allow them to take care of their interests.

The US State Department has warned Georgia of sanctions if direct air traffic with Russia is restored.