Brussels, 30/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 29 April, Tbilisi announced that it was suspending bilateral talks with Moscow on Russia's accession to the WTO in protest at the Russian decision to cooperate with the self-proclaimed breakaway Georgian republics of Abkhaszia and South Ossetia. The move was immediately condemned by Moscow. In 2007, Georgia revoked its signature of the bilateral protocol on Russia's accession to the WTO, demanding the legalisation of Customs posts on roads from Abkhazia and South Ossetia at the border with Russia. Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrej Rupel said that the EU, which also has to conclude a bilateral WTO agreement with Russia, was “in favour of fast-track negotiation to see the early of Russia into the WTO”. (E.H.)