Georgia voices readiness to restore air traffic with Russia

If accord is reached by private airlines, the official Tbilisi is ready to resume regular air flights between Georgia and Russia, said Nino Kalandadze, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Georgia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 1 the border check point "Kazbegi-Verkhni Lars" was reopened. After the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, when direct air flights between two countries was stopped, this check point is now the only possibility to directly get from Georgia to Russia and back.

"The Georgian party is ready to restore regular air flights to Russia," said Ms Kalandadze, having emphasized that "not Georgia was the first to suspend air communication with Russia," as the "News-Georgia" reports.

In the opinion of the Georgian foreign office, the role of the state in restoring air flights is minimal, since airlines should agree on that.

Nino Kalandadze has spoken out the MFA's comment in the context of the statement of the Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM) of Georgia that "Georgian leaders should respect the interests of the 800,000 citizens of Georgia who live in Russia and restore direct air flights to this country," the "GHN" reports.