Georgia Calls Russia to Cut Ties with Abkhazia
(Tbilisi, July 21, 2003, Civil Georgia) – President Shevardnadze called on Russia to cease unsanctioned ties with the Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia.
“I categorically demand from Russia to inform us in advance regarding the steps taken by the Russian authorities regarding Abkhazia,” Eduard Shevardnadze said his Monday radio broadcast on July 21.
“I have already sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which says that Russia and Abkhazia should take into account the position of the Georgian government,” President Shevardnadze said.
President Shevardnadze said he reminded President Putin that the CIS heads of state had pledged seven years ago that members of the CIS should cut ties with Abkhazia without Georgia’s permission.
Georgian President hailed the Geneva talks on Abkhazia. During the July 21-22 Geneva meeting of the UN Secretary General’s Group of Friends on Georgia (Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and the United States) the Georgian side will be represented by Special Affairs Minister Malkhaz Kakabadze, the Abkhaz side – by de facto Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba and the Russian side – by Deputy Foreign Minister Valeri Loshchinin.
