Georgia will not allow itself to be influenced by acts of provocation and remains committed to the peace process, “although we clearly understand that there is a high probability for the reoccurrence of provocations similar” to the one that took place in upper Kodori Gorge on March 11, Georgian Ambassador in the UN Irakli Alasania said at a news conference in New York on March 13.
He said that attacks on the villages of Tbilisi-controlled upper Kodori Gorge in breakaway Abkhazia was an act of provocation.
“It is very obvious that certain forces will use such provocations to escalate tension in the region, thus threatening fragile stability, and to hamper any positive developments in the peaceful resolution of the conflict, particularly the reengagement of parties in dialogue during the 2007 February Geneva talks,” Alasania said.
“Georgia condemns this act and evaluates it as serious attempt to hinder the stabilization and reconstruction processes, and to devalue recent positive achievements in Upper Abkhazia,” he added.
Georgia said at least three army helicopters entered Georgian airspace over upper Kodori Gorge, which is controlled by Tbilisi, from the territory of the Russian Federation and shelled the area late on March 11, causing no casualties. Russia has denied any involvement in the incident.
A joint fact-finding team consisting of representatives from the UN observers, Russian peacekeepers, and the Georgian and Abkhaz sides arrived in upper Kodori Gorge on March 13 to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, officials in Tbilisi, including State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Merab Antadze and Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili, said that a possible aim of the provocation is the “creation of a negative atmosphere” about security conditions in upper Kodori Gorge ahead of a UN Security Council session that is expected to discuss Abkhazia in April.
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