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Zurab Noghaideli: The talks on the restoration of flights to Russia produced no results

25 December 2009 15:46 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Georgiaâ€™s former Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli said the talks between Tbilisi and Moscow on the restoration of flights failed. APA reports that he made the statement after finishing his visit to Russia and returning to Tbilisi. Noghaideli met with senior officials, as well as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Former Prime Minister said the restoration of the flights had been agreed during one of his visits to Moscow. But Russia rejected the agreement after the monument to the Soviet soldiers was knocked down in Kutaisi.
â€œThe talks on the restoration of the flights have failed in the present stage,â€ he said.

Earlier, Georgian airways and Airzena companies had appealed to Russia and asked to agree to operate flights between the two countries on the occasion of the New Year in December-January.Airzena had already said Russia gave permission to charter flights. The sale of tickets for these flights had started in Tbilisi. Russian Transport Ministry sent a questionnaire to Georgian leadership and asked to investigate whether the above-mentioned companies had the right to make such an appeal. Official Tbilisi said the companies had such a right.

The citizens of both countries first fly to Armenia or Ukraine and then leave for Tbilisi by charter flight.