Tbilisi Considers Opening Turkish-Abkhaz Maritime Link

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Valeri Chechelashvili held talks with Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Ertan Tezgor on June 5, who briefed him over his visit to breakaway Abkhazia which took place on June 1-2.
 
Following the talks the Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister told reporters that Tbilisi and Ankara are holding consultations over opening a maritime link with Abkhazia.
 
Apsnypress news agency quoted Turkish Ambassador as saying after the talks with Abkhaz Prime Minister Aleksandr Ankvab that Turkey is ready to open a maritime link with Abkhazia.

Prior to the visit the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported that the issues that the Turkish diplomat planned to discuss during the visit were agreed upon beforehand with Tbilisi.
 
?If such a decision is accepted, it will be accepted between Tbilisi and Ankara in a wider context and we are holding consultations with Ankara in this regard,? Valeri Chechelashvili said following talks with the Turkish Ambassador.
 
The Turkish Ambassador said that Turkey supports Georgia?s territorial integrity and a maritime link with Abkhazia will be opened only through an agreement with the Georgian side.

Tbilisi?s consideration of giving its consent to opening a maritime link between Turkey and the breakaway region is seen as part of Georgia?s policy of pro-active engagement with Abkhazia, which aims at putting an end to the isolation of the Abkhaz society.

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