Abkhaz Fighters Leave Kodori – Georgian Defense Chief Says

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, August 13, 2002) – “Abkhaz fighters started to leave Kodori gorge. Armed clashes between Abkhazians and Georgians have already stopped,” Georgian Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze said today at the special news briefing in Tbilisi.

Georgian Defense Minister said armed clashes broke out in the morning today. According to the preliminary information there are no casualties.

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

Davit Tevzadze said that the territory where the Abkhaz fighters were deployed is important for Georgia as it borders with the Russian Federation. “It is better when we control the border with Russia,” Georgian Defense Minister said.

Georgian State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze is in Kodori at the moment. He arrived there from Chuburkhinji, breakaway Abkhazia, where he held talks with the Prime Minister of unrecognized Abkhazian Republic. The talks were suspended because of armed clashes in Kodori.