Georgia, Russia to Renew Activities on Chechen Refugees Repatriation

(Tbilisi. March 25, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Secretary of the Russian Security Council Vladimir Rushailo said on March 24 Russian and Georgian authorities will renew joint activities on return of the Chechen refugees living in Georgia’s Pankisi gorge.

“The Russian President has already requested the Emergency Ministry to start working on the issue,” Russian media sources report quoting Vladimir Rushailo, which held talks with his Georgian counterpart Tedo Japaridze in Moscow.

Georgian Acting Minister of Refugees and Accommodation Otar Kheinishvili told Civil Georgia on March 25 “only one Chechen family living in Pankisi gorge expressed readiness to return in Chechnya so far.”

According to the registration of refugees held last April up to 4000 Chechen refugees live in Georgia. A new registration of Chechen refugees is scheduled for April 2003. 

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