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The EC added that the instrument will remain available to other countries that have financial difficulties.
2.4​ ​Russia to take steps towards ‘resuming ties with Georgia if invited’
The Russian government is ready to discuss the opening of a trade representation in Georgia if Tbilisi offers it the opportunity, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Lavrov also expressed the hope that direct flights between the two countries, which Moscow suspended last year after anti-Kremlin protests in Tbilisi, would resume soon.
During a video conference with members of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund on April 21, Lavrov stated that Russia was ready to discuss the restoration of diplomatic relations with Georgia as “we did not initiate the suspension of the relations.”
“We hope that anti-Russian attitudes will not increase in Georgia,” Lavrov added, claiming that Russia was “forced” to temporarily suspend the flights as the Georgian government failed to ensure the safety of its MPs in Tbilisi during an international conference in June last year.
Russia and Georgia suspended diplomatic relations after their short war in 2008.
Addressing Lavrov’s statements, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said that “if Russia changes its decision on the suspension of flights with Georgia, the Georgian side will welcome this decision.”
According to Zalkaliani, the ending of direct air links has significantly complicated the lives of thousands of Georgian citizens in the Russian Federation and had negatively impacted trade and economic relations.
“Air traffic between Georgia and Russia was suspended by the decision of the Russian side, and therefore, if Russia changes its decision, we will only welcome it,” said Zalkaliani.
2.5​ ​Leaked document reported to show EU members cool on Eastern Partnership nations’ bloc aspirations
EU states are yet to reach a full agreement on the membership aspirations of their eastern neighbours and are concerned about the consequences of the already implemented visa liberalisation, RFE/RL wrote after gaining access to a leaked document being debated by diplomats from the 27 EU states representing the European Council.
The document forms the response to the European Commission’s communique on the Eastern Partnership presented last month. It is expected to be approved in coming days.
9​ GEORGIA Country Report ​May 2020 ​​www.intellinews.com