Russian Parliament Denies Sending Observers to Abkhaz Polls

Boris Grizlov, Speaker of the lower house of the Russian Parliament, said on January 13, that the Parliament?s Vice-Speaker Sergey Baburin arrived in breakaway Abkhazia on an unofficial visit and that “his statement in support of Abkhazia?s independence was his personal opinion and does not coincide with the official position of the Russian Parliament.”

?Russia has never made any statements which cast a doubt over the territorial integrity of Georgia. The Russian Parliament has not sent observers to monitor the elections in Abkhazia,? the news agency RIA Novosti reports Boris Grizlov as saying.

Russian officials, including Vice-Speaker of the Russian Parliament Sergey Baburin, arrived in Abkhazia to monitor the January 12 presidential elections. Sergey Baburin said in Sokhumi that voting in the Abkhaz president elections “would be an investment in the international recognition of Abkhaz [independence].” He added that the lower house of the Russian parliament would “possibly consider associated membership of Abkhazia into the Russian Federation as early as 2005.”

Meanwhile, the Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a strong-worded statement on January 12 condemning Russia?s active involvement in the Abkhaz elections, actions described by Tbilisi as a ?violation of Georgia?s sovereignty.?

RIA Novosti also quotes an unknown source from the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that the Russian side does not intend to respond to the statement made by the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

?The statement of the Georgian Foreign Ministry is irresponsible. Hence, we will not make any comments regarding it,? the source said.