Georgian Army May Withdraw from Kodori

(Tbilisi, January 18, Civil Georgia) – Georgian Special Affairs Minister Malkhaz Kakabadze stated after the meeting with the representatives of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia on January 17, that Georgian Defense Ministry would pull out its military units from Kodori gorge, in case Abkhazian side withdraws its army from the part of Kodori and Tkvarcheli region.

Russia and UN special envoy in Georgia Deter Boden also demand from Georgia to pull out army from Kodori, the only part of breakaway Abkhazia controlled by the Georgian government.

Malkhaz Kakabadze stated that Abkhazian side should also guarantee security of Georgian population living in Kodori gorge.

Additional army units of Georgian Defense Ministry were dispatched to the gorge in October 2001, when the armed clashes between joint Chechen-Georgian guerrillas and Abkhazian fighters took place.

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