Georgia, Russia Hold Talks on Peacekeepers’ Mandate

(Tbilisi February 6, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Georgian Special Affairs Minister Malkhaz Kakabadze and Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze arrived today in Moscow to hold talks concerning the Russian peacekeeping forces’ mandate deployed in the Abkhaz conflict zone under the auspices of the CIS.

The Georgian side poses three demands to extend the Russian peacekeepers’ mandate, which expired on December 31: closing down the railway link, which was unilaterally reopened by Russia with Abkhazia, suspension of granting Russian citizenship to Abkhazia’s residents and extension of the peacekeeper mandate over the Gali district, so that IDP would be able to return at least to Gali.

Tbilisi also demands a joint Georgian-Abkhazian administration in Gali district, which would manage the district under international supervision.

Georgian delegation will hold talks with the Russian President’s personal envoy for the Abkhaz conflict settlement Valeri Loshchinin.
 

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