AJARIAN LEADER TELLS AZERI TV HE FOLLOWS CONSTITUTION

ANS TV, Baku
15 Mar 04

(Presenter) We had an interview with Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze
before the news bulletin.

(Correspondent over the phone) Good evening, Aslan Georgiyevich.
(Abashidze) Good evening.

(Correspondent) What is happening in Ajaria and on the administrative
border?

(Abashidze) The situation was difficult, but it is quite now.

(Correspondent) What foreign forces, do you think, are interested in
the escalation of the tension?

(Abashidze) Without a thorough analysis and without documents, we can
only make assumptions. But these forces did not come on their own.

(Correspondent) Aslan Ibragimovich, we learned that Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan had phoned you several times in the past two
days. What did he want, if it is not a secret?

(Abashidze) I received no such calls. I had a call several days ago,
before my trip to Moscow. They phoned on the day of Saakashvili’s
visit to Yerevan. An aircraft of a businessman took off from here
(presumably to Yerevan) as well. Presumably, there was a report at
Yerevan’s airport about this, so they wanted to know who is flying –
was it Abashidze or somebody else. They were told the aircraft
belonged to an individual. That is all.

(Correspondent) How is the situation going to develop after the expiry
of an ultimatum?

(Abashidze) I have not heard about the ultimatum and have not thought
about it. I don’t understand when people within a country talk to each
other in the language of ultimatums, to put it mildly. I do not pay
any attention to such things. I am following the constitution.