Abkhaz Officials at Odds over Visit in South Tyrol

Secretary of the Abkhaz Security Council Stanislav Lakoba once again criticized Foreign Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Shamba for visiting the South Tyrol autonomy in Italy, together with the Georgian delegation, Regnum news agency reported on April 19.

Delegations from Georgia and Abkhazia visited South Tyrol following UN-sponsored talks in Geneva, which were held on April 7-8. This trip was organized by the UN in an attempt to familiarize the conflicting sides with the extensive autonomy of South Tyrol, which could serve as a model for Abkhaz-Georgian conflict resolution.

But shortly after the Abkhaz delegation?s return to Sokhumi the Secretary of the Abkhaz National Security Council Stanislav Lakoba slammed Shamba on April 18. He said that South Tyrol can not be an example of a type of settlement to the conflict, as it is autonomy and Abkhazia is an independent state.

In response, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba told reporters that Abkhazia needs to stay involved in negotiations with Georgia to avoid war, or a possible peace enforcement operation.

However, Stanislav Lakoba further criticized Shamba on April 19 saying that Shamba?s explanations were ?unconvincing.? Lakoba also said that the Abkhaz National Security Council was unaware of Shamba?s plans to visit South Tyrol.

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