Russian Minister Discussed Railway Link via Abkhazia

RIA Novosti news agency reported quoting an unnamed source in the Georgian President?s administration that Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin, who visited Tbilisi on November 1, agreed with Georgian officials over setting up joint governmental groups to work in regards to ?technical aspects? of restoring the railway link between Russia and Armenia via Georgia, which lies through breakaway Abkhazia.

On September 10 the railway link between Moscow and the capital of Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia was re-opened, triggering protests from Tbilisi, which insists that the process should be accompanied by the return of the Georgian internally displaced persons to Abkhazia.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania told reporters after his talks with the Russian Transport Minister that the issue of the railway connection was discussed during the meeting, but added that ?until the normalization of situation in Abkhazia talks over restoration of railway make no sense.?

But Georgian Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze, who has also met with the Russian Transport Minister, downplayed Russia?s unilateral decision to reopen its rail link with Abkhazia by telling reporters on November 1: ?OK they [Russians] have resumed the railway connection and what do you suppose we should do? Shall we bite them for that??

Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said at a news briefing after his talks with Zurab Zhvania and Kakha Bendukidze on November 1 that the Georgian officials showed an ?understanding? towards Russia?s decision to reopen its railway link with Abkhazia. He added that reopening of the route ?should not lead to a worsening of relations? between the two countries.

Armenia also insists on reopening of the rail route via Abkhazia, which will enable landlocked Armenia to restore its railway connection with its strategic partner, Russia. Armenian President Robert Kocharian pushed this issue during recent talks with the Georgian leadership during his visit to Tbilisi in late October.

On March 7, 2003 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Georgia?s ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze signed an agreement in Sochi envisaging a ?synchronization? of the two processes ? the return of the internally displaced persons to Abkhazia’s westernmost Gali region and the resumption of the railway connection. The two presidents also agreed to set up two separate bilateral governmental commissions to work over these issues. However, the commissions failed to take off.