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The authorities of Georgia have
addressed to appropriate structures of Russia with the offer to make active
teamwork for returning of Chechen refugees temporarily settled in Pankissi gorge.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Iraklie Menagarishvili has informed about
it. Referring to announcement of Russian authorities that in some areas of
Chechen Republic favorable conditions for return of refugees are already created,
Minister told that if Chechen refugees will express desire, they could return to
their houses. At the same time, he emphasized that this announcement does not
mean, "someone drives them from Georgia". As he said, readiness of
Georgian side to promote process of repatriation of Chechen refugees should not
be understood, as urgent requirement to start their returning. Iraklie
Menagarishvili believes that determining factor for returning of refugees to
Chechen Republic will be the decision of Chechens themselves, who should make
sure that normal conditions for residing are available in their native land. As
head of department of the Ministry on Affairs of Refugees and resettlement
Iraklie Pirtshalava, working with Chechen refugees in the Pankissi gorge has
declared, many refugees would wish to return home, but at this stage, they
consider it impossible because of absence of firm guarantees of safety of their
lives. Irakie Pirtshalava told that representatives of refugees almost
constantly visit their houses and "bring real data from there". Any
act of terrorism in Chechen Republic is rather painfully perceived by families
of thousand refugees in Pankissi gorge, majority of whom are old men, women and
children, he told. Pirtshalava has recognized that in Pankissi gorge, there is a
constant process of migration of Chechen refugees - one leave it for other
countries, others, on the contrary, arrive here as directly from Chechen
Republic, and from Ingushetia and Northern Ossetia. Georgia extends maximum
assistance to Chechen refugee in providing habitation and registration of the
status of refugee, according to which international organizations give them
humanitarian help, he noted.
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