Interfax
March 17 2005

Breakaway republics’ leaders meet in Moscow – sources

MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax) – The leaders of the self-proclaimed
republics of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh held a
meeting in Moscow late on Wednesday, Moscow sources told Interfax on
Thursday. Sergei Bagapsh, Eduard Kokoity and Arkady Gukasian agreed
to hold their next meeting in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, in
April, the sources said. The president of the self-proclaimed
republic of Transdniestria will attend the meeting as well.

Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transdniestria and Nagorno-Karabakh
proclaimed their independence from Georgia (Abkhazia and South
Ossetia), Moldova (Transdniestria) and Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh)
following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The self-proclaimed
republics’ goal is to gain recognition of their independence, while
Tbilisi, Chisinau and Baku want to restore control over these
breakaway provinces.