Shevardnadze Says Instability Hampers Talks with Abkhaz Side

President Shevardnadze said today the de facto Abkhazian and South Ossetian sides are ready to renew talks with the Georgian side, however cannot arrive in Tbilisi due to the recent political crisis in the country.

?If stability and order are secured in the country, it will be possible to launch talks with the Abkhazian and South Ossetian delegations. They intend to arrive in Tbilisi and are now waiting for the situation to calm down,? Shevardnadze said at a government session on November 19.

Long before the parliamentary elections the Georgian-Abkhazian talks were scheduled in Tbilisi on September 23. However, they were postponed as the Georgian side failed to ensure safety of the Abkhaz delegation in Tbilisi.