10:44, 14 April 2004

Talks between Georgia and Adjaria produce no results

Five-hour talks between Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and leader of the Adjarian Autonomy Aslan Abashidze in Batumi have produced no results. "Unfortunately, this was an ineffectual meeting. No agreement has been reached on the main issue of the disarmament of illegal armed units. Abashidze said he was not going even to discuss this issue, and this complicates the situation," Zurab Zhvania said to journalists after the meeting. The Georgian leadership is going to discuss further moves, the prime minister said.

In his turn, Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council Ivan Merabishvili said after the talks with the Adjarian leader that "there is no alternative to the disarmament, and the central authorities will take measures provided for in the law for such cases."

Editors note: See also the article "Georgian president ready to buy arms from residents of Adjaria".

Source: RosBusinessConsulting News Agency