On May 14, Russian and Georgian representatives met in Moscow to discuss expanding trade turnover, addressing issues like counterfeit Georgian goods and logistics improvements, while on May 15, a roundtable in Chechnya focused on strengthening historical and civil society ties between Chechen and Georgian communities.
Representatives of Russia and Georgia discussed the expansion of trade turnover during a meeting in Moscow. The Georgian delegation was led by Zaza Nishnianidze, the Head of the Georgian-Russian Business Association, while the Russian side was represented by Marat Shaydaev, the General Director of the same association.
Both parties underscored the importance of constructive dialogue and jointly addressing the issue of counterfeit Georgian goods, particularly cognac. The Russian side voiced concerns over product quality and proposed conducting mutual settlements in rubles and lari.
Trade turnover between the two countries has been on the rise, surpassing $2.5 billion last year, with Georgia exporting wine, other alcoholic beverages, mineral water, lemonades, fruits, and vegetables, and importing oil, oil products, gas, steel, and wheat from Russia. Moscow remains Tbilisi’s largest wheat supplier. One of the Georgian side’s proposals focused on grain transportation logistics, as approximately 500,000 tons are currently delivered annually by trucks through the heavily congested Upper Lars checkpoint.
Marat Shaydaev emphasized the need to shift this cargo flow to rail and sea routes to ease congestion, noting that around 20,000 vehicles a year pass through Upper Lars. Additionally, both sides agreed on the necessity of strengthening control over transported goods, with Georgia pledging to establish a new laboratory soon to monitor the quality of products exported to Russia.
On May 15, the “historical interrelations” between Chechnya and Georgia and the “prospects for their development” were discussed at a roundtable held at the Aydamirov National Library of the Chechen Federal Republic.
The event gathered representatives of the clergy and the council of elders from the Chechen diaspora residing in Georgia. During the meeting, participants reflected on the outcomes of years of cooperation and emphasized the importance of enhancing and strengthening relations between the two sides at the civil society level. The gathering also highlighted the deep historical ties between the peoples of the Chechen Federal Republic and Georgia and expressed interest in identifying areas of mutual interest and convergence.
This trade and cultural engagement occurs despite Georgia’s official stance, as noted in a previous Caucasus Watch article on May 14, where the Georgian Parliament rejected allegations of inappropriate ties with Russia, emphasizing the absence of diplomatic relations since the 2008 war and limited trade (less than 12% of Georgia’s total trade). However, the Moscow meeting suggests “pragmatic economic cooperation continues at a business level.”