TBILISI, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Russia and Georgia failed on Thursday to come to an agreement that would pave the way for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation, but the two sides will hold further talks next week, the head of Georgia's trade talks delegation said.

Since the WTO, a 153-nation trade body, makes decisions by consensus, Georgia -- a pro-Western NATO aspirant -- has an effective veto over membership for the much larger Russia.

"This meeting ended with no result again. The situation is the same as it was after our last round of talks," said Sergi Kapanadze, Deputy Foreign Minister and the head of Georgia's delegation to the Swiss-mediated talks.

"We agreed that another meeting will be held at the beginning of next week," he told Reuters by telephone.

The failure to resolve a dispute rooted in a 2008 war between the ex-Soviet neighbours undermines Russia's chances of joining the WTO this year, a target set by Moscow and the United States, and could worsen Russia's relations with the West.

Kapanadze said the sticking point was still Russia's refusal to let Georgia have access to information about trade in the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Moscow recognised as independent nations after the five-day war.

"Russia does not agree on monitoring of trade in trade corridors ... They are trying to politicise this issue," Kapanadze said, referring to the two regions where Russia maintains sizable military forces.

Russia is by far the largest economy still outside the WTO and has been seeking entry for 18 years.

Georgia halted WTO talks with Russia in April 2008 after the Kremlin ordered the lifting of economic sanctions against Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the run-up to the war that August.

Russian forces repelled a Georgian attempt to regain control of South Ossetia, which has long been outside the sway of the central government in Tbilisi, and penetrated deep into Georgia before an EU-brokered ceasefire was reached.

Almost all remaining trade issues between Russia and WTO members including the United States and European Union have been resolved since U.S. President Barack Obama made support for Russia's bid a part of efforts to improve ties with Moscow.

October 20, 2011

Source: Reuters

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