(Tbilisi. April 28, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly paid a fact-finding visit to Pankisi gorge on April 27.
?We wanted to see what is the danger coming from here [Pankisi gorge] for the region. There is controlled situation and we are very satisfied with this,? Marcus Meckel, Chairman of the sub-committee for Central and Eastern Europe told the reporters in Pankisi gorge.
The 9-member delegation visited several checkpoints of the internal troops in the gorge and met with the local population and the Chechen refugees living in Pankisi.
Chechen refugees delivered to the NATO delegation their demand on resettlement to the third country. Refugees said that they have no access to medicines and education.
They also expressed concern regarding the mop-up operations carried out by the Georgian internal troops deployed in the gorge.
Today NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation will meet Georgian Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili and the head of the Georgian Parliamentary delegation to NATO Giorgi Baramidze.