Opposition Slams Results of Shevardnadze, Putin Summit

(Tbilisi. March 12, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Commission for Abkhaz Issues held a joint meeting. Results of the Georgian and Russian Presidents meeting, held on March 6-7 in Sochi were discussed.

After the meeting Shevardnadze and Putin signed a joint statement, which reads that the parties would work on return of the IDPs to Abkhazia; restoration of the Sochi-Tbilisi railway link, via breakaway Abkhazia and rehabilitation of the energy facilities in the region.

?The statement reads that the IDPs should return, but in does not point out where they should return ? to the independent Abkhazia? It also does not indicate who will guarantee security of returned IDPs ? Russian peacekeeping forces, which proved to be ineffective?? asked Zurab Zhvania leader of the opposition United Democrats Parliamentary faction and the Committee meeting.

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