State Minister Comments on Attack Against Abkhaz PM

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava condemned the assassination attempt against Prime Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Alexander Ankvab and alleged that those ?external forces? whose assets might become targets of the new Abkhaz leadership could possibly be behind this assassination attempt.

?We all remember Ankvab?s hard line position towards [ex-President Vladislav] Ardzinba?s clan well,? Khaindrava said in the interview with Rustavi 2 television on March 1.

A group of unknown gunmen opened fire at the Abkhaz Prime Minister?s convoy outside the capital Sokhumi late on February 28. The local Abkhaz television reported that in the moment of the attack Prime Minister Ankvab survived because he was riding in the car of Vice-Premier Leonid Lakerbaia and not in his own.