The FINANCIAL — According to RIA Novosti, Russia resumed postal links with neighboring Georgia on April 21, lifting one of the remaining blockade measures imposed in October 2006 which banned air, sea and rail transport with the country.
The sanctions were an apparent retaliation for the brief detention of four Russian army officers on espionage charges. Russian officials cited commercial reasons, but Tbilisi called the measures politically motivated.
The Russian postal service said money transfers to Georgia via the postal service would also be resumed as of April 21.
On March 25 Russia resumed air transport with Georgia, in line with a bilateral agreement signed in late February on the repayment of Tbilisi's $3.7 million debt to Russia's air traffic regulator.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin gave orders last week for the remaining visa restrictions on Georgians to be lifted, and for talks to be held with Tbilisi to readmit key Georgian imports into Russia, tensions between the countries remain high.
Russia objects to ex-Soviet Georgia's plans to join NATO, while Tbilisi has reacted furiously to Russia's moves to strengthen ties with two breakaway Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Bakradze will arrive in the U.S. today to seek Washington's support in the ongoing row with Russia.
Bakradze said on April 17 that Russia's plans to give legal status to companies in the two provinces and to cooperate with their governments was "an attempt to annex two Georgian regions," and urged the UN Security Council and the OSCE to call emergency meetings on the issue.
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