(Tbilisi. April 8, 2003. Civil Georgia) – The British embassy in Georgia reported today that the ambassador Deborah Barnes Jones is working closely with the State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze and the Foreign Ministry to resolve problem related to the restriction of British Mediterranean Airways’ (BMed.) flights in Georgia.
By a decision of the Georgian Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) the flights are limited from three to two a week before April 15, after which the company’s flight rights will be terminated. CAA decision followed the Parliament’s decree adopted on February 27.
According to the Parliamentary decree Air Services Agreement with Great Britain, has been finalized by the foreign ministries, but was not signed. The document was not submitted for the parliamentary ratification to legally enter into force. Thus the decision says, “tax breaks, enjoyed by the British air company lack legal grounds”.
British ambassador in Georgia says that she is working with the Georgian authorities regarding “the signature and ratification of an Air Services Agreement and I am pleased that there has been progress on this”.
“An agreed draft is now ready for signature,” she added.
“I very much regret the damage that a withdrawal of air services would cause in terms of our bilateral relations, Georgia’s international reputation and the negative effect on business and tourism,” Deborah Barnes Jones says.