Bagapsh Signals Readiness to Meet Saakashvili

Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh said on June 26 that he is ready to meet Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to sign an agreement on non-resumption of hostilities, Russian news agency Regnum reported.

?I am ready to discuss any kind of issue with Saakashvili,? Bagapsh said at a news conference in Sokhumi and added that the meeting should be well-prepared in order to make it ?productive.?

He said that the Abkhaz side was ready to sign the agreement on non-resumption of hostilities, but refused after the Georgian side proposed number of unacceptable amendments to the document.

One of the major controversies over the document is related to the role of the Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the conflict zone under the aegis of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Bagapsh also said that many other issues can also be discussed in case of meeting with Saakashvili, including lifting economic blockade on Abkhazia and reopening air, sea and rail routes with Abkhazia.