Abkhaz leader urges Georgia to focus on economic issues, not politics

Ren TV, Moscow
15 Mar 05

[Presenter] The new leaders of the unrecognized republic of Abkhazia
are ready for talks with Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili. Abkhaz
President Sergey Bagapsh said today that working groups from both
sides would meet in April in Geneva.

The Abkhaz leader believes that the most important thing now is to
talk not about politics but about how to find solutions to specific
economic issues.

[Sergey Bagapsh, speaking at a news conference in Moscow] One such
issue is a through railway link from southern Russia to Armenia. That
is why we are proposing to consider this issue, resolve it so that we
are able to say that we have found common ground in resolving economic
issues. That was how once we resolved energy issues, agreeing on
InguriGES [dam]. There are some issues there, too. These are basic
matters that we can resolve and then tell the people that we are
already resolving these issues and that talks will continue further.