Lavrov: Treaty on IDP Return to Abkhazia Unreal for Now
The return of Georgian internally displaced persons to Abkhazia can only be discussed after a treaty on the non-use of force between Tbilisi and Sokhumi is signed, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said on July 17.
“Signing of a treaty on the return of Georgian refugees to Abkhazia is unreal now, because such a return requires a calm situation and confidence building, and only afterwards will it be possible to discuss this issue,” RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying on July 17.
His remarks constitute the first public reaction by the Russian side to the German-proposed three-stage Abkhaz peace plan. The proposal, reportedly, envisages in the first stage a year of trust-building measures, including the signing of a treaty on the non-use of force and the beginning of the return of internally displaced persons.
Officials in Tbilisi are opposed to a treaty on the non-use of force without firm guarantees and a detailed timeframe and terms for IDP and refugee return. Tbilisi also refuses to sign such a treaty on the grounds that Russian peacekeeping forces currently stationed in the Abkhaz conflict zone can not act as guarantors of any agreement.
