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President
Eduard Shevardnadze declared, that always there would be from 15 to 20 thousand
people, basically from among refugees from Abkhazia, ready to undertake weapon.
He declared it at last press conference, making comments on threat of the new
Georgia-Abkhazian armed opposition, which was possible to avoid at the end of
the last week. As he said, if process of the Georgia-Abkhazian negotiations will
not be active and productive, situation can become complicated at a level of all
regions.
Abkhazian
conflict is bomb both for Georgian, and for Abkhazians, and for Russia,
basically for the south of Russia, told Edward Shevardnadze, obviously hinting
on proceeding war in Ichkeria. He confirmed, that last week in Western Georgia,
a group of not less than 200-300 armed of guerrilla in particular was observed.
Now, according to president of Georgia, the situation is stable, but there was a
danger of recurrence of Gal events of 1998, when were marked serious armed
conflicts of Georgian guerrilla and Abkhazian formations, resulting from
repeated exile from Abkhazia of some tens of thousand of peaceful inhabitants of
Georgian nationality.
President
informed, that he supported regular contacts with prime minister of Sukhumi
government, Anri Jergeniya. Within one night were made 4 telephonic
conversations, he told. Edward Shevardnadze supports renewal of negotiating
process as «bowl of patience of refugees» was going to overflow. As he said,
Anri Jergenia also expressed readiness for renewal of the work interrupted in
April conducted under aegis of coordination council United Nations for
Georgia-Abkhazian settlement. Sukhumi suspended participation in work of council,
protesting against actions of Georgian guerrilla in a zone of conflict.
Edward
Shevardnadze expressed readiness to visit Sukhumi and to present the vision of
Georgio-Abkhazian settlement in context of the uniform state. At press
conference, he told, that in the near future will promulgate appeal to Georgians
and Abkhazians, in which will be formulated vision of Georgio-Abkhazian
coexistence in uniform state with observance at a level of the highest
international norms of the right of the subject of federation for Abkhazia. He
confirmed, that majority of Georgian and Abkhazians are united in opinion on
necessity of joint peaceful life as it was till the time of confrontation of
1992-1993 years. Due to absence of real progress in peaceful settlement, the
president noted, consequences will be malleable.
In
the meantime, Premier-Minister of Abkhazia, Anri Jergenia issued the curious
statement that the main role in stabilization of situation, which has become
complicated at the end of last week in a zone of the Georgio-Abkhazian conflict,
belongs to president of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze. As declared Anri Jergenia
to journalists in Sukhumi, at the first stage of negotiations of the heads of
power structures of Georgia evaded from contacts with representatives of
leadership of Abkhazia. He informed, that he repeatedly spoke with Shevardnadze
by phone and understood, that «if someone from heads of power structures will
support the given power action, the president of Georgia himself will not do so».
As
he said, at present armed groups fixed at the end of the last week in western
Georgia, are allocated from "borders with Abkhazia" and now are on a
distance of 20-30 kilometers. As he said, nobody knows exact number of the armed
persons, but rough figure is 500-600 persons, whom guerrillas began to join. «It
is firmly possible to tell, that regular Georgian forces were not connected to
this process», - told Anri Jergenia. As he said, in Abkhazia partial
mobilization was carried out, posts were exposed directly in places of possible
penetration; was increased alertness of the appropriate army divisions.
As
he said, danger of armed clashes between the parties will exist until the
conflict will not be settled, as they actually are at war. He noted, that battle
readiness in Abkhazian army is not rejected, and partial mobilization of
reservists is kept. Speaking about participation in destabilization of situation
of Chechen divisions, which are ostensibly taking place in territory of Georgia,
Abkhazian prime minister noted, that leadership of Abkhazia does not dispose
exhaustive information for confirmation or refutation of the available reports.
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