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Civil Georgia, Georgia
Feb 13 2013
Saakashvili Tells EaP Meeting Participants Why He's Against of
Reopening Abkhaz Railway
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 13 Feb.'13 / 19:40
President Saakashvili told the ministers and dignitaries from Eastern
Partnership (EaP) countries, including Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian, that he was against of reopening railway via
breakaway Abkhazia as it would pose threat to Georgia and lead to
Russian `expansion in the Caucasus'.
Saakashvili also said that at the time when Russia took over the
Armenian railway, Moscow probably already had its `insidious plan' and
`calculations about Georgia's elections'; he also added that Moscow
probably had its `favorite' candidate with the latter having `concrete
commitments' before Russia.
When PM Bidzina Ivanishvili visited Armenia in January, he said that
his government was ready to launch work on reopening of the railway
between Georgia and Russia via breakaway Abkhazia, which would also
link Armenia with Russia; Ivanishvili, however, also noted that the
issue was complicated because of troubled relations between Georgia
and Russian and because of `uneasy relations with our Abkhaz
brothers'.
President Saakashvili, who voiced his opposition to the idea of
reopening of the Abkhaz railway for number of times since PM's
remarks, again raised the issue while hosting in the presidential
palace participants of an informal Eastern Partnership ministerial
meeting in Tbilisi, involving high ranking officials from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine; European Commissioner for
Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Ĺtefan Füle and Vice
President of the European Commission Siim Kallas were also present.
Earlier on February 13 participants of the meeting from six countries
of the Eastern Partnership held discussions on the issue of transport.
`On the one hand we have very close and warm relations with Armenia
and I am grateful to Armenia, especially for its solidarity expressed
towards Georgia in difficult circumstances in 2008 [during the August
war],' President Saakashvili said, adding that Georgia did its best to
help Armenia with solving transportation issues, including through
reopening of Larsi border crossing point with Russia.
`But today the issue of reopening of railway through Abkhazia has been
put on the agenda again. I do not want Armenia to face any kind of
problem in respect of transportation of cargo in the future. I simply
want them to know what my position about this railway is,' Saakashvili
said.
`First of all we know that the Russian railway controls the Armenian
railway,' Saakashvili said.
State-run Russian Railways (RZhD) took over the management of Armenian
railway network under 30-year operating concession deal, which was
signed in January, 2008.
`At the time when they [Russia] took over the Armenian railway and
illegally seized the railway in occupied Abkhazia, there was no talk
of reopening of railway [via Abkhazia], so I was asking a question:
what was Russia's plan? Why it needed Armenian railway if the railway
via Abkhazia was not opened?' Saakashvili said.
`It seems that Russia had more far-sighted and insidious plan than I
could have imagined,' he continued.
`They [Russia] had their calculations about Georgia's elections; they
probably had their favorite [candidate in Georgia's elections], who
had concrete commitments [before Russia]; otherwise I cannot explain
why did they need to control Armenian railway and seized Abkhaz
railway in the condition when [these two rail networks] were
disconnected,' Saakashvili said.
With Russia's continued occupation of Abkhazia, he said, reopening of
the railway via the breakaway region would further increase Moscow's
grip over Abkhazia.
`It will be an instrument for [Russian] expansion in the Caucasus,'
Saakashvili said. `Georgia will gain nothing from it; on the contrary
it will complicate reintegration of Abkhazia and will create other
types of military and political problems for Georgia.'
`I do not think that it is in the interests of any country in the
Caucasus,' Saakashvili said. `It is only in the short-term, aggressive
interests of one country.'
He also said that for the purpose of handling more cargo turnover via
Georgia, including those destined for Armenia, the previous government
of Georgia was intending to build a new port, Lazika, on the Black Sea
coast close to Abkhazia.
President Saakashvili also spoke about the importance of EU's Eastern
Partnership initiative and especially welcomed participation of
Foreign Minister of Belarus Vladimir Makey in the Eastern Partnership
informal meeting in Tbilisi.
`We are very grateful to Belarus, like to other countries present
here, for respecting Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity
in difficult circumstances. We think that dialogue with Belarus and
engagement of Belarus in various European formats has a long-term
importance not only for Belarus but for the entire Europe as well,'
Saakashvili said.
Saakashvili also said that idea of granting Georgia a declaration on
EU membership perspective was floating last year. `There is less talk
about it now,' Saakashvili said. `I hope that that the chance for that
is not completely lost.'
He also said that Georgia should `definitely' sign Association
Agreement with EU.
`I am ready to help the Georgian government in this regard with
everything possible. You know that there are many circumstances, which
may turn problematic for Georgia in this regard; I am not at all happy
about it,' Saakashvili said.
The President of the European People's Party (EPP) Wilfried Martens
and the Vice President of the EPP and Chairman of the EPP Group in
Euronest Jacek Saryusz-Wolski released a statement on February 13
condemning February 8 incident outside the National Library in Tbilisi
in which several UNM MPs were assaulted. The statement says that the
conditions to continue a dialogue on Association Agreement with
Georgia `are not met anymore' because, as the statement reads, `the
situation continues to deteriorate dramatically' in Georgia. President
Saakashvili's UNM party is an observer member of EPP.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25751
Feb 13 2013
Saakashvili Tells EaP Meeting Participants Why He's Against of
Reopening Abkhaz Railway
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 13 Feb.'13 / 19:40
President Saakashvili told the ministers and dignitaries from Eastern
Partnership (EaP) countries, including Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian, that he was against of reopening railway via
breakaway Abkhazia as it would pose threat to Georgia and lead to
Russian `expansion in the Caucasus'.
Saakashvili also said that at the time when Russia took over the
Armenian railway, Moscow probably already had its `insidious plan' and
`calculations about Georgia's elections'; he also added that Moscow
probably had its `favorite' candidate with the latter having `concrete
commitments' before Russia.
When PM Bidzina Ivanishvili visited Armenia in January, he said that
his government was ready to launch work on reopening of the railway
between Georgia and Russia via breakaway Abkhazia, which would also
link Armenia with Russia; Ivanishvili, however, also noted that the
issue was complicated because of troubled relations between Georgia
and Russian and because of `uneasy relations with our Abkhaz
brothers'.
President Saakashvili, who voiced his opposition to the idea of
reopening of the Abkhaz railway for number of times since PM's
remarks, again raised the issue while hosting in the presidential
palace participants of an informal Eastern Partnership ministerial
meeting in Tbilisi, involving high ranking officials from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine; European Commissioner for
Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Ĺtefan Füle and Vice
President of the European Commission Siim Kallas were also present.
Earlier on February 13 participants of the meeting from six countries
of the Eastern Partnership held discussions on the issue of transport.
`On the one hand we have very close and warm relations with Armenia
and I am grateful to Armenia, especially for its solidarity expressed
towards Georgia in difficult circumstances in 2008 [during the August
war],' President Saakashvili said, adding that Georgia did its best to
help Armenia with solving transportation issues, including through
reopening of Larsi border crossing point with Russia.
`But today the issue of reopening of railway through Abkhazia has been
put on the agenda again. I do not want Armenia to face any kind of
problem in respect of transportation of cargo in the future. I simply
want them to know what my position about this railway is,' Saakashvili
said.
`First of all we know that the Russian railway controls the Armenian
railway,' Saakashvili said.
State-run Russian Railways (RZhD) took over the management of Armenian
railway network under 30-year operating concession deal, which was
signed in January, 2008.
`At the time when they [Russia] took over the Armenian railway and
illegally seized the railway in occupied Abkhazia, there was no talk
of reopening of railway [via Abkhazia], so I was asking a question:
what was Russia's plan? Why it needed Armenian railway if the railway
via Abkhazia was not opened?' Saakashvili said.
`It seems that Russia had more far-sighted and insidious plan than I
could have imagined,' he continued.
`They [Russia] had their calculations about Georgia's elections; they
probably had their favorite [candidate in Georgia's elections], who
had concrete commitments [before Russia]; otherwise I cannot explain
why did they need to control Armenian railway and seized Abkhaz
railway in the condition when [these two rail networks] were
disconnected,' Saakashvili said.
With Russia's continued occupation of Abkhazia, he said, reopening of
the railway via the breakaway region would further increase Moscow's
grip over Abkhazia.
`It will be an instrument for [Russian] expansion in the Caucasus,'
Saakashvili said. `Georgia will gain nothing from it; on the contrary
it will complicate reintegration of Abkhazia and will create other
types of military and political problems for Georgia.'
`I do not think that it is in the interests of any country in the
Caucasus,' Saakashvili said. `It is only in the short-term, aggressive
interests of one country.'
He also said that for the purpose of handling more cargo turnover via
Georgia, including those destined for Armenia, the previous government
of Georgia was intending to build a new port, Lazika, on the Black Sea
coast close to Abkhazia.
President Saakashvili also spoke about the importance of EU's Eastern
Partnership initiative and especially welcomed participation of
Foreign Minister of Belarus Vladimir Makey in the Eastern Partnership
informal meeting in Tbilisi.
`We are very grateful to Belarus, like to other countries present
here, for respecting Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity
in difficult circumstances. We think that dialogue with Belarus and
engagement of Belarus in various European formats has a long-term
importance not only for Belarus but for the entire Europe as well,'
Saakashvili said.
Saakashvili also said that idea of granting Georgia a declaration on
EU membership perspective was floating last year. `There is less talk
about it now,' Saakashvili said. `I hope that that the chance for that
is not completely lost.'
He also said that Georgia should `definitely' sign Association
Agreement with EU.
`I am ready to help the Georgian government in this regard with
everything possible. You know that there are many circumstances, which
may turn problematic for Georgia in this regard; I am not at all happy
about it,' Saakashvili said.
The President of the European People's Party (EPP) Wilfried Martens
and the Vice President of the EPP and Chairman of the EPP Group in
Euronest Jacek Saryusz-Wolski released a statement on February 13
condemning February 8 incident outside the National Library in Tbilisi
in which several UNM MPs were assaulted. The statement says that the
conditions to continue a dialogue on Association Agreement with
Georgia `are not met anymore' because, as the statement reads, `the
situation continues to deteriorate dramatically' in Georgia. President
Saakashvili's UNM party is an observer member of EPP.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25751