Georgia, Russia to resume regular flights

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Russia and Georgia are in talks over resumption of regular flights in late January.

Georgi Kvirikashvili, Georgia's Economy and Sustainable Development Minister said Georgia was doing its best to keep the balance and protect the interests of air companies.

"We are taking all-out efforts to keep the balance. It will on one hand give the people an opportunity to fly at competitive price on the market, and on the other hand save the interests of the air carriers in Georgia," Kvirikashvili said, according to Interfax.

Currently, four air companies - Siberia (S7 Airlines), Aeroflot, Transaero, as well as the Georgian Airways - are carrying out flights between Russia and Georgia.

The mutual decision of Russia and Georgia to restore the flights was adopted in September, 2014.

Meanwhile, Zurab Abashidze, Georgian Prime Minister's Personal Representative for Russia, said Georgia was interested in more air companies in its aviation market.

"At the same time, the parity between the companies should be kept to save the interests of our local companies," he added.

Abashidze rejected the news about the flights of Areoflot to Sukhumi, capital city of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region, which violates the law regarding to the occupied Georgian territories. Aeroflot company has resumed its regular Moscow-Tbilisi flights following six years of suspension.

"If Aeroflot breaches the law on occupied territories, I will be the first one to demand for the application of that law against Aeroflot," Abashidze said.

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