Saakashvili Ready to Meet Abkhaz Leaders

President Saakashvili said on April 7 that he is ready to meet with the Abkhaz leadership, but added that the talks might take place only “under the condition of receiving concrete outcomes.”

“We continue peace talks. I am ready for meeting with them [referring to Abkhaz leadership], but I am ready to meet with a concrete program without any preconditions, with a concrete demands and under conditions of receiving concrete outcomes,” Saakashvili said.

Saakashvili was speaking at the talks with Minister for Refugees and Accommodation Giorgi Kheviashvili who informed the President about the process of inventory of property owned by the internally displaced persons who were forced to leave Abkhazia after the armed conflict there in early 90s.

He said that he will put forth the issue of internally displaced persons’ property, as well as their return in dignity and safety back to Abkhazia in case of talks with the Abkhaz leadership. 

“If I meet with those in Abkhazia who wish [to hold this meeting], I will push forth these issues. It will not be a general conversation. It will be issue-based conversation about these houses, about the return of these people and their rights,” Saakashvili said.

The Georgian Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation is carrying out inventory of property in Abkhazia using satellite photos.
 
“This program was initiated by me as soon as I learnt that the so-called authorities [referring to Abkhaz leadership] plan to adopt the so-called law on sale of your property, I do not mean only Georgian, I mean the property of ethnic Estonians, Ukrainians, Russians, Greek and other nationalities [who lived in Abkhazia before the armed conflict in early 90s]. We are the state, which has technical means, money and legal means to say that each estate will be untouchable and if someone tries seizing them, this will be estimated as a violation, burglary and banditry and will be punished in accordance of our legislation and international laws,” Saakashvili said.
 
Saakashvili also denounced Russian authorities’ attempts to link Abkhazia case with the Kosovo precedent.

“When they say that Abkhazia is Kosovo, these people forget a simple thing: unlike Kosovo, in Abkhazia the majority of the population was expelled [from Abkhazia] as a result of ethnic cleansing and their property has been left there,” Saakashvili said. 
 
He reiterated that the Georgian authorities plan to settle the conflict only through peaceful means, adding that “peaceful resolution means that the property is untouchable and the population has the right to return.”

“We are a peaceful state, we want peaceful development in frames of democracy, but democracy means rule of law and respect of human rights. The state will give a relevant response to all violations, and nobody will blame us,” he added.
 
Saakashvili also said that “Abkhaz issue” is of top priority for the Georgian authorities and this priority will never change.