PUTIN RECEIVES LEADERS OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA IN SOCHI

AZG Armenian Daily #063, 09/04/2005

Region

The Russian mass media informed that Russian President Vladimir Putin
had “an absolutely closed, i.e. secret” meeting with the leaders of
Abkhazia and south Ossetia in his Sochi residence. Putin met with
Sergey Baghapish and Eduard Kokoyti after having met with Javier
Solana, Coordinator of EU Foreign Policy and Security.

Georgian President refused Moscow’s offer to meet with Baghapish
and Kokoyti despite the mediation of Putin. The Georgian mass media
informed that Mikheil Saakashvili stated that he “is never going to
meet with Kokoyti and Baghapish in Sochi.” “If they want to meet me,
all right. I can give them the telephone numbers of my home and office
in Tbilisi. They may visit me,” he said.