Shevardnadze Says Return of IDPs will Be “Irreversible”

(Tbilisi. March 8, 2003. Civil Georgia) – President Shevardnadze said upon his arrival from Sochi on March 7, where he met with his Russian counterpart, “return of IDPs in Abkhazia will become an irreversible process” after the talks with Putin.

Eduard Shevardnadze told the reporters that the two Presidents agreed the process of resumption of the railway connection between Sochi and Tbilisi via Abkhazia “should be synchronized with the process of return of IDPs in Abkhazia, first of all in Gali district.”

According to the joint statement, adopted after the talks by Putin and Shevardnadze, for the implementation of the decision a Russian-Georgian joint governmental commission will be created.