Alasania Speaks of Abkhaz Conflict Settlement
The Georgian President?s representative for Abkhaz conflict issues Irakli Alasania, who also chairs the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government-in-exile, said the prospects are promising regarding upcoming peace talks between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in frames of the UN-led Geneva process, which are scheduled for early October.
Alasania also said in an interview, which was published by the official web-site of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government www.abkhazeti.info on September 27, that security guarantees and a joint Georgian-Abkhaz declaration on non-resumption of hostilities will be discussed during this meeting, with the participation of representatives from the UN Secretary General Group of Friends – France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
?We will discuss the draft of a bilateral statement being offered by the Georgian side to the Abkhazians. The Abkhaz side has been working over this draft for two months already. We have accepted their proposals, which will be considered by us and a final version will be sent to the Abkhaz side again,? Irakli Alasania said.
He also said that prospects are also promising regarding the issues related with the opening of a UN human rights office in the predominately Georgian-populated Gali district of breakaway Abkhazia and teaching local Georgian youth in their native Georgian language in schools in the Gali district.
He said if there is no progress Georgia should call on the international community to ?toughen their tone towards that side, which fails to follow its commitments.?
?Another important trend is a new strategic dialogue between the U.S. and Russia regarding the post-Soviet space. Today Russia admits that the United States has its own interests in the post-Soviet space. This means that a very strong, new line is being formed in the U.S. foreign policy directed at creating movement in the stagnant frozen conflicts,? Alasania said.
He said that the government plans to set up a new body which will coordinate Georgia?s Abkhaz policy. He did not specify the details of this plan and said that the issue needs to be discussed by the Parliament.
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