By the data of the Transportation Ministry, for the first six months of 2004, Russian carriers fulfilled only one Moscow-Tbilisi run, while Georgian carriers fulfilled 277 runs. At that, the Russian Transportation Ministry has not yet received from the Georgian side a permit for Russian carriers to work at Moscow-Tbilisi, St. Petersburg-Tbilisi, Moscow-Rustavi, and Moscow-Kutaisi routes.
This, reads the comment, violates the principle of parity, which underlies international bus transportation, and is out of line with the spirit of the agreement between the governments of the Russian Federation and Georgia on international automobile communication of February 3, 1994.
Besides, the Russian Transportation Ministry receives addresses of Russian carriers on the violation by their Georgian partners of agreements concluded between them.
"A relevant letter about it was sent to the Georgian side on September 7, 2004, in which the Transportation Ministry notified [it] of the decision to annul permits for Georgian carriers to fulfill international bus transportation from September 15, 2004." But this does not relate to all routes, only to some of them, notes the comment.
As for air carriages, on September 3 air administrations of all CIS countries were sent notifications about the termination from October 1, 2004 of aeronavigation servicing of airlines' flights in Russia's airspace in case the debt for such servicing is not repaid.
The Georgian airlines' debt for aeronavigation servicing in Russia's airspace is over $3.6 million.
"So, the talk is not about Russia's intention to close its airspace for Georgian airlines, but about the necessity to repay the debt," reads the statement.
