Sokhumi Refuses to Meet ‘Group of Friends’

Sergey Bagapsh, the Abkhaz leader, said Sokhumi would not take part in a meeting of the UN Secretary General’s Group of Friends in Berlin, because of tensions in South Ossetia, Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress reported on August 3.

Speaking at a session of the breakaway region’s National Security Council on Sunday, Bagapsh said: “Tensions are rising in Tskhinvali… Georgia is sending forces to the South Ossetian border. In these conditions, we can not talk either with the Group of Friends or the Georgian side.”

“We will watch how events develop in South Ossetia and if the situation gets better we may revise our decision,” Bagapsh added.

Bagapsh said that a meeting with the Group of Friends dealing with the Abkhaz conflict and involving France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia and the U.S. had been planned for August 15. Initially, the meeting was proposed for July 30-31, but the Abkhaz side rejected the date, instead saying it was free between August 15 and 20. Moscow also suggested holding the meeting at a later date. Officials in Tbilisi, however, said August and early September were unacceptable because of a tight schedule.

Apsnipress also reported that Bagapsh had ordered the Defense Ministry to place “the eastern group of forces” on combat readiness.

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