Pankisi Elders and Internal Forces Talk on Operation in Pankisi

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, August 22, 2002) – Georgian Internal Forces and heads of Pankisi villages as well as the valley elders meet in village Pichkhovani, Akhmeta region (near Pankisi gorge), today. They are to discuss details of deployment of Internal Forces in Pankisi gorge.

Elders of Pankisi asked the Georgian government to send units of Internal Forces to the gorge a week ago.

Following the request President Shevardnadze stated on August 19 that deployment of Internal Forces in Pankisi is planned so that peace and stability is finally restored there.

Exact date of when the operation starts is not known yet.