GEORGIA MAINTAINS STANCE ON ABKHAZ RAIL LINK

Georgian State Television Channel 1, Tbilisi
26 Jul 04

(Presenter) The Armenian government is asking Georgia to reopen the
rail link with Russia via Abkhazia. Aside from the railway, Armenia is
also interested in electricity. A meeting took place today in Tbilisi
of the intergovernmental Georgian-Armenian economic cooperation
commission. The Armenian prime minister held meetings today in the
State Chancellery.

(Correspondent) (Passage omitted) The opening of the railway via
Abkhazia was one of the main themes of the Georgian-Armenian
talks. Tbilisi still maintains that the question can only be
considered after the return of refugees to Abkhazia. (Passage omitted)

(Zurab Zhvania, Georgian prime minister, in Russian) The railway is
linked to the question of the return of refugees, to progress being
made in restoring territorial integrity and the first steps being
taken.

(Davit Onoprishvili, chairman of Georgian Railways) The reopening of
the Abkhaz railway depends on a lot of nuances and questions. This is
primarily to be decided by politicians. However, it is, above all,
Georgia that is interested in the reopening of the railway.

(Passage omitted)