Georgian, Swiss presidents meet to discuss Russian WTO accession

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday met visiting Swiss President Michelin Calmy Rey, to discuss issues concerning the ongoing negotiations for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). "She (the Swiss president) has informed Mikheil Saakashvili about the Russian position towards the Swiss compromise proposal," the Georgian presidential administration said in a brief statement issued after the meeting held in the Georgian Black Sea resort of Batumi. The Swiss president came to Georgia after a visit to Moscow, where she met Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Sunday. Switzerland has proposed to work as the mediator between Georgia and Russia as regards the latter's accession to WTO. Georgia and Russia do not have diplomatic relations after the August 2008 conflict. Switzerland represents their respective diplomatic interests in Tbilisi and Moscow. In an earlier development, Russian presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said that Russia wanted "minor changes to the wording" of the Swiss proposal which had been accepted by the South Caucasus country of Georgia late last week. The Swiss delegation is expected to travel from Batumi to Tbilisi to continue mediation.