28 November 2003, 15:03
Abkhazian delegation arrived in Moscow
An Abkhazian delegation arrived in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the situation in Georgia with representatives of Russia as well as Adjaria and South Osetia. The Abkhazian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba.
The sides do not exclude a chance that Abkhazian Prime Minister Raul Khadzhimba will join the talks at the next stage.
Heads of Adjaria and South Osetia Aslan Abashidze and Eduard Kokoity, who arrived in Moscow early this week, already exchanged opinions on the situation developing in Georgia. "South Osetia as well as Adjaria and Abkhazia watch the events in Georgia and want stability to be preserved," the South Osetian leader stressed. Tskhinvali can start contacts with Tbilisi "only after a legitimate government is established" in Georgia, Kokoity emphasized.
Following the Wednesday meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, Abashidze expressed the opinion that CIS countries were late with their reaction to the Georgian developments. "If representatives of the Commonwealth had gathered two weeks ago, there would nave been no bacchanalia," he noted.
Abashidze again appraised the events in Tbilisi as "a state coup, which precludes any talk on the legitimacy of the opposition's actions". In the opinion of the Adjarian leader, economic relations with Russia are "the most important tool to stabilize the situation in Georgia".
According to Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin, Russia regards activities by the Adjarian leader as "a substantial and important factor in the stabilization of the situation in Georgia". Abashidze's contribution lies in the fact that "the situation in Georgia now develops peacefully", Loshchinin said, calling the visit by the Adjarian leader to Moscow as "very timely, important and useful".
Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency
