President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh said in an interview with the Russian news agency Regnum on August 4 that the recognition of Abkhazia?s independence by Tbilisi in exchange for Sokhumi?s consent on the return of Georgian internally displaced persons to the unrecognized republic’s Gali district would be a reasonable compromise that will help to solve decade-old conflict.
?Two neighboring states [Georgia, Abkhazia] ? is the best compromise. Georgia now has a perfect chance to recognize Abkhazia?s [independence]? In turn we will return [Georgian refugees] to the Gali district. I think it will be very difficult to reach another compromise,? Bagapsh said.
He said that currently about 50-60 thousand Georgians live in the Gali district. ?There were 72,000 Georgians in Gali before the war? a census of those who have already returned will start in October, 2005,? Sergey Bagapsh said.
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