ABKHAZIA TO PRESERVE INDEPENDENT STATUS
TBILISI, March 31 (RIA Novosti) – The political status of Abkhazia was
determined once and for all, Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh said at a press
conference in Sukhumi on Wednesday.
According to him, at the referendum of 1999 Abkhaz people voted for the
country’s independence.
Sergei Bagapsh denied the information that the leaders of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia (self-proclaimed republics in Georgia) were ready to negotiate with
the Georgian side on the formation of a federative union state, etc.,” the
Novosti-Georgia agency reports.
“Talks on Abkhazia’s political status with Georgia are out of the question,”
Bagapsh said.
He does not rule out his meeting with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
but believes that it should be seriously prepared.
“This meeting cannot be held either in Tbilisi, or in Batumi. I will not go
there,” Bagapsh stressed adding that the agenda of this meeting should be
thoroughly drafted, as well.
Speaking about the statements by Georgian leaders claiming that “Abkhaz
people would like the republic to join Georgia,” Sergei Bagapsh said.
“Georgian politicians are making conclusions having no idea of real moods of
Abkhaz people.” In his opinion, this can put an end to Georgian-Abkhaz
talks, which have not started yet.
The Abkhaz leadership is ready to discuss with the Georgian side nothing but
mutually beneficial economic projects on the basis of Sochi agreements
signed in March 2002, he stressed. The agreements imply the restoration of
through railway traffic via Abkhazia to Georgia and Armenia, the restoration
and development of the Inguri hydroelectric power plant and the return of
Georgian refugees to Abkhazia’s Gali district.
“Other issues are out of the question,” Bagapsh said adding that the
above-mentioned problems were usually discussed with representatives of the
UN mission.
According to Sergei Bagapsh, the Abkhaz delegation will attend the session
in Geneva on Georgian-Abkhaz settlement on April 7-8
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress