Saakashvili Sends “Peace Message’ to Abkhaz Leaders

Speaking in the Georgian-controlled upper Kodori Gorge in breakaway Abkhazia on January 11, President Saakashvili said he wants to deliver a message of peace and security to the Abkhaz side. But he also warned that Georgia will never tolerate attempts to legalize the current status quo in breakaway Abkhazia.

“Our message to them is: peace; talks; mutual security guarantees; and dignity of people and protection of human rights, including the protection of the rights of all internally displaced persons. And I hope that my message will be listened to in Sokhumi, which is so close to here [upper Kodori Gorge]. There is no time for mutual accusations and hysteria; it is time for holding serious negotiations,” Saakashvili said.

He was speaking at a session of the Abkhaz government-in-exile, which is now based in upper Kodori Gorge – a a fact that has provoked anger in Sokhumi. The Abkhaz side has said that it would resume talks with Tbilisi only after the Georgian side pulls out its forces and “puppet government” from upper Kodori.

President Saakashvili also said that currently “one of the states” – referring to Russia – is “hysterically trying” to legitimize the status quo in Abkhazia, which is tied in with what he called the results of “ethnic cleansing” against Georgians and “crimes committed against mankind.”

“Until Georgia exists and until we have a sense of lawfulness, the Georgian state will never tolerate the legalization of the results of annexation and ethnic cleansing,” Saakashvili said.

“As far as I know, the separatists say that they will never let internally displaced persons return to Abkhazia. But they cannot control and own what does not belong to them. Your houses [referring to the officials from the Abkhaz government who were displaced from Abkhazia as a result of conflict in early 90s], as well as the houses of other ethnicities, including Estonians, Ukrainians, Jews, Greeks – all of them were our citizens and I am sure they will remain such – belong not to Mr. [Sergey] Bagapsh [the Abkhaz leader] or other separatists, but to those people who were expelled from there,” Saakashvili said.

“It is neither up to the separatists nor up to their patrons to decide whether to let displaced persons to return or not,” the Georgian President added.

He said that it is “abnormal” to travel to upper Kodori Gorge by helicopter, “flying over huge mountains just because the road via Sokhumi remains closed for us.”

Saakashvili traveled to upper Kodori Gorge for few hours and visited a newly built office space, housing a movie theater and a branch of Peoples’ Bank, which is in charge of the distribution of state salaries and pensions.

He said that the rehabilitation of the gorge, which came under the central authorities” total control after the crackdown on a rebel Georgian paramilitary group in summer 2006, will continue.

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