State Department Comments on President Putin’s Statement

(Tbilisi, August 29 2002, Civil Georgia) “We’re very aware of the concerns that were expressed by President Putin and others in Russia about incursions into Russia by Chechen fighters who operate from the Pankisi Gorge region of Georgia. but we’ve also made quite clear that we regret the loss of life and deplore the violation of Georgia’s sovereignty that occurred in the bombing of Georgian territory, most recently August 23rd, and we’ve expressed that concern directly to the Russians as well through diplomatic channels as well as in Secretary Powell’s phone calls”, said Richard Boucher, Speksman of State Department, while commenting Russian president Vladimir Putin’s statement about anti-criminal operation in the Pankisi Gorge on August 28.

Asked what exactly State Department is doing to try to convince, in addition to training the Georgian troops, to prevent the Russians from taking a more active stance, Richard Boucher answered “Georgia has moved security forces into the Pankisi area to establish government control. We think the problems in that area need to be handled by the Georgian Government and we’ve worked with the Georgian Government, as you know, to improve its ability to do that — to improve border security. So like us, we would urge Russia to talk to Georgia, to work with Georgia, so that both countries can work together to deal with the question of international terrorists and Chechen fighters remaining in Georgia”.