Shevardnadze Against Free Trade Zone

(Tbilisi. March 11, 2003. Civil Georgia) – President Shevardnadze said at the briefing on March 10 that the creation of the free trade zone in Adjarian Autonomous Republic would be ?inadmissible.?

The Parliamentary faction Revival backed by the Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze, proposed the draft law considering creation of the free trade zones in Batumi, Autonomous Republic?s capital and in Black Sea port of Poti.

?Adjara evades to pay taxes in the central budget, we could not solve even this problem. Just image what will happen in case of creation of the free trade zone,? Eduard Shevardnadze said.

Authorities of the Autonomous Republic pushed the issue in 1997 but failed to convince the Parliament to adopt the draft law.

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