On Mar. 25, Russia and Georgia restored air traffic links after an 18-month hiatus triggered by a spying row and are also likely to restart talks on Moscow's long-time bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), a news agency reported.

"We are discussing the possibility of a new meeting with Georgia, which is likely to take place in late April in Geneva, where a new round of negotiations will be held," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russia's chief WTO negotiator Maxim Medvedkov as saying.

Russia has been seeking WTO membership since 1993 and has concluded bilateral talks with over 60 WTO members, including the United States and the European Union. But its bid has been blocked by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia, which have trade disputes with Moscow.

The resumption of flights between Georgia and Russia on Mar. 25 and the restoration of sea links later this week will pave the way for mending a relationship that was soured by Georgia's bid to join NATO and Russia's economic and transport embargo on Tbilisi.

Russia slapped the embargo in October 2006 in response to Georgia's detention of four Russian army officers on spying charges. The officers were later released.