Georgian MFA Responds to Moscow’s Criticism over Kodori
In response to Russia’s criticism over Tbilisi’s policy in the upper Kodori gorge, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on September 7 that the authorities are commited to relocating the Abkhaz government-in-exile to the Kodori Gorge and the number of police units that remain there will be as large as necessary to maintain the rule of law and order in the region.
“The fulfillment of these tasks is Georgia’s sovereign right and the plans of the Georgian authorities will be implemented regardless of what representatives of the Sukhumi separatist regime or their supporters – the Russian side – may think of them,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on September 7 that the Abkhaz conflict resolution process is “deadlocked” as a result of Georgia’s decision to send its troops to upper Kodori Gorge.
Tbilisi claims that the Georgian authorities are firmly determined to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict through a direct bilateral dialogue with the Abkhaz side in a renewed bilateral Georgian-Abkhazian format – through the Coordination Council.
“We will do our utmost to ensure that international organizations and states concerned with the resolution of the conflict become more actively involved in this process,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
Tbilisi also claims that it is actively working with the international organizations over changing the peacekeeping format in Abkhazia, as “the CIS, and actually Russian-led peace operation in Abkhazia, failed to solve any of the persisting problems, stopped to act with impartiality and turned into a protector of separatism.”
The Georgian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Georgia wishes to retain the UN’s role in resolving the Abkhaz conflict.
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