RUSSIA KEEN ON RESTORING ABKHAZ SECTION OF RAILWAY, OFFICIAL SAYS IN ARMENIA

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Oct 12 2005

Yerevan, 12 October: “Armenia, Russia, Georgia and Abkhazia will
probably set up a consortium for the restoration of the Abkhazian
section of the railway [joining Russia with Armenia via Georgia],
Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said in Yerevan today.

Speaking at the Armenian-Russian business forum today, Levitin said
that there were a number of problems in the restoration of the railway
communication in Abkhazia and that time is needed for the effective
resolution of the problem. “We should not forget that this is a 15-year
old problem and it is impossible to solve it in one day,” he said.

Levitin said that a sitting of the Russian-Georgian intergovernmental
commission will be held soon to discuss the issue of restoration of
the Abkhazian section of the railway.

The Russian minister pointed out that a report on a necessary amount
of financing for the restoration of the railway communication on the
Abkhazian territory will be ready in a few day.