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Russia is guarantor of stability - Adzharian leader

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  • Russia is guarantor of stability - Adzharian leader

    ITAR-TASS News Agency
    TASS
    May 4, 2004 Tuesday

    Russia is guarantor of stability - Adzharian leader

    MOSCOW

    Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze has turned down the ultimatum of
    Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who wants Adzharia to start
    disarming illegal units within ten days.

    "The ultimatum cannot solve our problems, because realities do not
    coincide with wishes of the center," Abashidze told Itar-Tass by
    telephone. "I do not need the ultimatum. I know what to do in the
    autonomous republic."

    "Batumi still wants dialog despite ongoing provocations of Tbilisi.
    There are only a few matters unacceptable for us, and we are ready to
    resolve the rest of problems," Abashidze said.

    The state of emergency in Adzharia "will be cancelled as soon as the
    mutual understanding is reached," Abashidze said. "Like it or not,
    Russia will be a guarantor of stability by the Moscow and Kars
    treaties in case of destabilization, and Tbilisi must be aware of
    that."

    An open-ended Kars treaty on friendship between Turkey, on one side,
    and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the other side, was signed
    with the participation of Russia in 1921. The treaty says that Turkey
    drops its claims to Adzharia, which shall return to Georgia as an
    autonomous region on two conditions. The first condition is that
    Georgia shall provide for full cultural, religious and national
    autonomy of Adzharia, up to the Adzharian right to adopt laws. The
    second condition is that Georgia shall provide for free transit via
    the Batumi port.

    As for the Tuesday episode in Batumi, Abashidze said, the student
    protest "was planned in Tbilisi, and the young people were
    aggressive." "Problems were inevitable against the background of the
    state of emergency and the curfew. We would not have allowed any
    incidents if we could. The only thing we want is peace," Abashidze
    said.

    Students had a rally in Batumi on Tuesday to demand resignation of
    the Adzharian authorities. The police used water guns and clubs
    against the students, who failed to meet the state of emergency
    requirements. There is information nine to 13 people were hurt.

    Abashidze said earlier on Tuesday that he would not seek political
    asylum abroad. "I am not the kind of a man who runs away," Abashidze
    said on the Ekho Moskvy Radio.
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