Sokhumi and Tbilisi have “agreed in general” to strike a deal involving binding commitment by the Abkhaz side not to hinder return of internally displaced persons and by the Georgian side not to use force, the Russian daily Kommersant reported on May 19.
The deal, according to the Kommersant, was reached during a surprise visit of Georgia’s UN ambassador, Irakli Alasania, in Sokhumi on May 12.
Abkhaz leader, Sergey Bagapsh, however, denied having reached any agreement with Tbilisi.
“We have reiterated [at talks with Alasania] our principled position, that the Georgian side should pull out its troops from the upper Kodori Gorge of Abkhazia and after that we will be ready to sign an agreement on non-resumption of hostilities,” Bagapsh told Russian news agency, Interfax, on May 19. “I want to reiterate once again that issue related with Abkhazia’s status of independent state is not for discussion.”
The Kommersant reported quoting unnamed source from the breakaway region’s government, that the deal reached between Tbilisi and Sokhumi envisaged signing of legally binding document. According to the document Tbilisi will undertake commitment on non-use of force and to withdraw troops from upper Kodori Gorge; in exchange the Abkhaz side undertakes commitment, according to the Kommersant, “not to create obstacles in the process” of return of internally displaced persons and refugees back to Abkhazia.
The newspaper said that the option was not ruled out by Sergey Shamba, the foreign minister of the breakaway region. “On bilateral level we have agreed major issues, but number of details remain [to be discussed],” the Kommersant quoted Shamba.
The Kommersant said that the Abkhaz leader was due to launch three-day visit to Moscow on May 19 to inform the Russian side about the possible deal. “He [Bagapsh] will try to secure Moscow’s backing in implementation of this deal,” the newspaper said.
Bagapsh, however, told Interfax that he was visiting Moscow to discuss issues of economic cooperation in the line of Russia’s recent decision to boost ties with Georgia’s breakaway regions.
The Kommersant also says that President Saakashvili hinted about possible deal during a meeting with a group of Russian journalists in Batumi on May 8 – four days before Irakli Alasania’s trip to Sokhumi.
“I am ready to sign agreement [on non-use of force] even tomorrow, if we have clear guarantees that the Georgian refugees will be able to return to Abkhazia,” the Kommersant quoted Saakashvili as saying at the meeting on May 8.
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