TBILISI WARMS TO IDEA OF RESTORING RAIL LINK TO ABKHAZIA
By Zaal Anjaparidze

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Jamestown Foundation
June 17 2005

Friday, June 17, 2005

The prospects of reopening the Georgian-Abkhaz railway line seem to be
improving. The issue has been the subject of discussions at various
high-profile meetings in recent months. The Georgian government has
significantly softened its initial tough stance on the issue. Reopening
the railway branch between Georgia and Abkhazia was one of the central
topics at the June 15 summit of CIS railway CEOs in Tbilisi, although
the issue was not officially on the agenda.

Experts estimate that the full restoration of the Abkhaz railway
branch will cost at least $100 million. Ararat Khrimian, chief of
the Armenian railway company, said that Armenia would definitely
participate in this venture if the Georgia and Russian governments
reach an agreement. The blockade of this railway branch costs Armenia’s
state budget about $500 million annually.

As early as April, Tbilisi showed a willingness to reconsider
its opposition to reopening the Abkhaz portion of the railway,
when Georgian parliamentary chair Nino Burjanadze told her Armenian
counterpart, Artur Bagdasarian, that Tbilisi has “changed its position
over restoration of a railway link via Abkhazia and is ready to
discuss this issue if concrete progress is made in resolving the
[Abkhaz] conflict” (Resonance, Civil Georgia, April 29).

The Georgian government is showing a moderate optimism. “We
should not create euphoria around this issue, since there are
still many unresolved problems, particularly with regard to the
safe repatriation of refugees,” said Georgian Prime Minister Zurab
Nogaideli. He admitted to having discussed the issue with his Russian
counterpart, Mikhail Fradkov, during his visit in Tbilisi on June 3.
“Georgia’s former government was against the reopening of the railway,
while the new government has a positive approach to this issue,” he
added. If the Abkhaz portion is restored, the Trans-Caucasus Railway
will again operate along more than 2,300 kilometers (Civil Georgia,
June 16). The railway line connects Armenia and Georgian Black Sea
ports with central Russia. This would likely revitalize the region’s
faded economy. However, all stakeholders are wondering who will be
the biggest winner.

It appears that Tbilisi still seeks unilateral advantages from this
venture. “We are ready to start rehabilitation work, and sooner or
later the railway has to be opened. Georgia must have an advantage
from this venture in the first turn,” Davit Onoprishvili, chief of
the Georgian railway, declared (24 Saati, June 16).

On June 15, the Georgian, Russian, and Abkhaz delegations met in Moscow
to discuss reopening the rail connection and returning refugees to
Gali district, although no concrete documents have been signed. The
self-styled president of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, said reopening
the rail communication via Abkhazia “is advantageous for Russia,
Abkhazia, Armenia, and Georgia” (Apsynpress, Caucasus Press, June
15). Yesterday, Sergei Shamba, the foreign minister of the Abkhaz
separatist government, said that the organized return of refugees to
Gali could possibly begin in September (Caucasus Press, June 16).

Meanwhile, Leonid Lakerbaya, deputy prime minister of Abkhazia,
conceded the need to quickly restore the railway line, but added that
the Abkhaz leadership has to discuss the issue with the Abkhaz public
and other governmental bodies (24 Saati, June 16).

The railway is scheduled to be discussed at a July 1 meeting in the
office of the UN special envoy in Gali district. This meeting of
Georgian, Russian, and Abkhaz specialists will focus on technical and
financial issues related to the restoration of the railway. “This
meeting will help us to define our further plans,” said Georgian
State Minister for Conflict Resolutions Giorgi Khaindrava.

Georgian analysts have different views about the issue. “We have to
separate politics and economics,” says Sandro Tvalchrelidze, who is
against linking the railway project with the repatriation of Georgian
refugees to Abkhazia, as Tbilisi demanded several months ago. Other
analysts, however, are less optimistic and argue that reopening the
railway link would be less productive without a concurrent solution
of the refugee issue. There are also numerous technical problems,
including guaranteeing the safety of cargo and the installation
of customs points. (Tbilisi likely wants to install them at the
Russo-Abkhaz border and not on the Enguri River, which could serve
as a provisional demarcation line between Georgia and breakaway
Abkhazia). These analysts argue that under no circumstances should
Georgia separate the issues of railway and repatriation issues. “It
turns out that the Georgian side is doing something for the welfare
of Abkhazia, but what is Abkhazia doing for Georgia?” asked analyst
Ramaz Sakvarelidze (Resonance, June 16).

However, the Abkhaz leadership remains distrustful of Georgia’s
apparent desire to resolve the Abkhaz conflict by non-violent means.
Nugzar Ashuba, chair of the Abkhaz parliament, complained at a June 15
meeting with a British delegation headed by Special Representative to
South Caucasus Brian Fall that Georgia was not interested in stability
and strengthening Abkhazia. He said that the National Bank of Georgia’s
appeal to the Central Bank of Russia to close all accounts in related
Abkhazian commercial banks revealed their true intention. The accounts
have reportedly been closed (Caucasus Press, June 16).

The perception that Tbilisi harbors a grudge against Abkhazia appears
to still dominate the Abkhaz political sphere. Any inconsistency
in Georgian policies toward Abkhazia only serves to further this
perception.