Saakashvili, Abashidze Agree to Cooperate

Tensions defused as President Saakashvili and Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze said after talks that an agreement has been reached and economic sanctions will be lifted.

Saakashvili told reporters after the talks “agreement over all main issues has been reached.” Aslan Abashidze described talks as “very useful.”

“All the disputed issues have been settled,” Abashidze said after the talks.

“We have discussed all the key issues, including holding of free election, free movement of people, free election campaigning by the parties,” Mikheil Saakashvili said.
 
President also said that the Prosecutor-General will dispatch a group of investigators to Batumi to jointly reconsider cases of those persons arrested for political reasons.
 
“One more issue discussed during the talks was disarmament of the armed groups in Adjara. This means restoration of supremacy of law in Georgia, including the Adjarian territory,” Mikheil Saakashvili added.

Saakashvili also said he would appoint a permanent representative to the Autonomous Republic.

“The President’s representative, who along with the local authorities will oversee the situation at the customs and the port of Batumi in order to provide the central authorities with information about customs operations and ensure transparency of tax collection,” Mikheil Saakashvili said.

“Now the main thing is to fulfill the achieved agreement. I promise the population of Georgia, that I will lift the economic sanctions tonight. I have no personal confrontation with the Adjarian leader. Simply we had to settle several key issues,” Saakashvili said.
 
“Agreement over all these issues has been reached,” President Saakashvili added.