Moscow recalled its ambassador and staff, and cut off travel and mail links with Georgia in September following the brief arrest of four Russian army officers in Tbilisi on alleged spying charges. This was the most bitter row between the former Soviet allies since the Western-leaning government of President Mikheil Saakashvili came to power in Georgia in 2003.
"[The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] tasked two PACE officials monitoring Russia and Georgia's obligations to the Council of Europe to continue evaluating the situation, and if need be to bring the issue back up for discussion at the next PACE session in April," said Konstantin Kosachev, who leads the Russian delegation to the session.
Russian Ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko is expected to return to Georgia and resume work Monday. Moscow has also said it will restore postal links with the South Caucasus nation. The travel ban is expected to be lifted shortly.
The dispute was Moscow's worst rift with Tbilisi, which has sought closer ties with NATO and the EU under Saakashvili, who has also accused the Kremlin of backing two separatist regions on Georgian territory.
Georgia insisted on the debates, saying the decisions made by the Kremlin were insufficient.
In the wake of the spying scandal, Moscow also imposed stringent restrictions on Georgian migrants working in Russia.
In December, Russia's energy giant Gazprom raised natural gas prices for the small Caucasus nation to $235 per 1,000 cubic meters, saying it was part of its drive to bring gas prices for ex-Soviet states closer to European levels.
The moves were made against the background of the earlier trade bans on Georgian mineral water and wine over health concerns.
"The decision to return the Russian ambassador to Tbilisi, to restore mail links, as well as Georgia's decision to dismiss Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili, made a positive impression on PACE," Kosachev said.
Okruashvili, whose insulting anti-Russian statements infuriated Moscow and fueled the crisis, was dismissed late last year, which the Kremlin considered to be a step toward mending ties.
President Vladimir Putin, who met with Kovalenko last week, said he "heads for a country that can claim not only special relations but good-neighborliness and friendship with Russia."
