Abkhaz Fighters Remain in Kodori, Talks Resume Today

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, August 14, 2002) – On August 13 Georgian State Minister and Abkhaz Premier failed to reach agreement on withdrawal of Abkhaz fighters from Georgian controlled upper Kodori gorge, breakaway Abkhazia.

The talks in Chuburkhinji, breakaway Abkhazia suspended yesterday for several times because of armed clashes that occurred in the gorge between the Georgians and Abkhaz fighters. In the evening on August 13 Georgian Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze stated at the news briefing that the Abkhaz fighters started to pull out, but the information was not confirmed later.

Georgian State Minister arrived from Chuburkhinji late on August 13 saying that the armed clashes stopped, but the situation in the gorge is very tensed. “The talks will resume concerning the issue by the noon of August 14,” State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze told the reporters.

Anri Jergenia, Prime Minister of unrecognized Abkhazian Republic told the reporters on August 13 that the Security Council of Abkhazia will decide on August 14, whether to pull out its units from Kodori or not.

Davit Tevzadze, Georgian Defense Minister said in the interview to the Rustavi 2 TV channel late on August 13 that the Abkhaz side “is waiting for the orders from Moscow concerning how to act”. He stated that, Russian side backs up each step of separatists in Sukhumi (capital of breakaway province).

The group of Abkhaz fighters entered upper Kodori gorge, the only part of breakaway Abkhazia controlled by the Georgian government, on August 8-11.