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Russian Minister Discussed Railway Link via Abkhazia

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  • Russian Minister Discussed Railway Link via Abkhazia

    Civil Georgia, Georgia
    Nov. 2, 2004

    Russian Minister Discussed Railway Link via Abkhazia

    RIA Novosti news agency reported quoting an unnamed source in the
    Georgian President's administration that Russian Transport Minister
    Igor Levitin, who visited Tbilisi on November 1, agreed with Georgian
    officials over setting up joint governmental groups to work in regards
    to `technical aspects' of restoring the railway link between Russia and
    Armenia via Georgia, which lies through breakaway Abkhazia.

    On September 10 the railway link between Moscow and the capital of
    Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia was re-opened, triggering protests from
    Tbilisi, which insists that the process should be accompanied by the
    return of the Georgian internally displaced persons to Abkhazia.

    Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania told reporters after his talks
    with the Russian Transport Minister that the issue of the railway
    connection was discussed during the meeting, but added that `until the
    normalization of situation in Abkhazia talks over restoration of
    railway make no sense.'

    But Georgian Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze, who has also met with
    the Russian Transport Minister, downplayed Russia's unilateral decision
    to reopen its rail link with Abkhazia by telling reporters on November
    1: `OK they [Russians] have resumed the railway connection and what do
    you suppose we should do? Shall we bite them for that?'

    Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said at a news briefing after
    his talks with Zurab Zhvania and Kakha Bendukidze on November 1 that
    the Georgian officials showed an `understanding' towards Russia's
    decision to reopen its railway link with Abkhazia. He added that
    reopening of the route `should not lead to a worsening of relations'
    between the two countries.

    Armenia also insists on reopening of the rail route via Abkhazia, which
    will enable landlocked Armenia to restore its railway connection with
    its strategic partner, Russia. Armenian President Robert Kocharian
    pushed this issue during recent talks with the Georgian leadership
    during his visit to Tbilisi in late October.

    On March 7, 2003 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Georgia's
    ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze signed an agreement in Sochi
    envisaging a `synchronization' of the two processes - the return of the
    internally displaced persons to Abkhazia's westernmost Gali region and
    the resumption of the railway connection. The two presidents also
    agreed to set up two separate bilateral governmental commissions to
    work over these issues. However, the commissions failed to take off.
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