Georgia to Release Seven Abkhaz Militiamen

Tbilisi has agreed to release seven Abkhaz militiamen captured after the September 20 clash, both Georgian and Abkhaz sources have reported.

An agreement, according to the reports, was reached after talks between Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Davit Bakradze and Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba in Sokhumi on October 25.

The seven Abkhaz militiamen were captured and two former Russian officers, reportedly on contract with the Abkhaz forces, were killed in the clash with Georgian Interior Ministry forces on September 20.

?The Abkhaz servicemen will be released this week,? Bakradze said after the talks, according to the Abkhaz leader?s website. ?This is an expression of the Georgian side?s good will. The Abkhaz servicemen will be back in Abkhazia with the facilitation of the UN after some formalities are resolved.?

?A serious step forward has been made,? Shamba was quoted as saying by the Abkhaz leader?s website. ?A willingness to cooperate will produce positive results in the resolution of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Currently there is some stagnation in the negotiating process. But we have opportunities to resolve existing problems. And I hope, we will do it.?

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