Bagapsh Rejects Talks over Abkhazia’s Political Status
President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh said at a news briefing on March 30 in Sokhumi that the Abkhaz side is ready to launch talks with Tbilisi, but only over economic projects and ruled out possible negotiations over the breakaway region’s political status, Apsnipress news agency reported.
“No talks over Abkhazia’s status can take place. We can hold talks with solely about economic issues with Georgia… in frames of the Sochi format,” Bagapsh said. An agreement reached by Georgia’s ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in 2003 envisages a launch of the return of IDPs to Abkhazia; restoration of the Russo-Georgian railway link via Abkhazia and rehabilitation of the energy facilities in the breakaway region.
Sergey Bagapsh also commented on a statement made by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on March 29 about the change of stance among the Abkhazians. Saakashvili said that most Abkhazians realize that it is, as he put it, “foolish” to think that Abkhazia will be recognized as an independent state.
“Georgian politicians make conclusions without having exact information about the stance of Abkhazians. Georgian politicians try to show the international society that Abkhazians became compliant with these kinds of statements. And this [statement] was made ahead of the visit of a high level guest,” Bagapsh said, referring to the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to Georgia, scheduled for May 10.
He added that these statements by Georgian officials may cause a “suspension of Georgian-Abkhaz talks without them even beginning.”
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