Participants in Georgian-Abkhazian meeting comment on its results

"Much work will have to be done to improve security mechanisms," Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Georgia Heidi Tagliavini said commenting on the results of the Georgian-Abkhazian meeting that was held in Sukhumi on May 20. According to her, participants discussed questions which excite both the sides at this stage. They are the Kondor Gorge, the Gali district, issues of sea security and transparency. "The sides will appoint representatives with whom we will continue to work up security mechanisms," Ms Tagliavini added.

The head of the Abkhazian delegation, Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba, said, "A considerable step forward has been done, and there are reasons to believe the sides will achieve the signature of the appropriate document on security guaranties and nonresumption of hostilities." At the same time, he noted there were many questions to adjust. "We have defined the whole range of very important issues concerning which we have reached an understanding, and we have made a basis of it for the further work on the document. We have reached an understanding that we deny the use of force in the future and will make common efforts not to allow any inciting actions and statements both in the security zone and against us," the Abkhazian minister said. Mr Shamba estimated the present situation in the Gali district as rather stable.

"I state unambiguously the Georgian authorities have no intentions to destabilize the situation. The Georgian leadership is interested in stability, in a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and we don't see any other solutions," the head of the Georgian delegation, Georgy Khaindrava, said. The Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution called the reports published by the press that "the Georgian leadership is preparing the export of the Rose Revolution to Abkhazia" contrary to fact. He assured journalists there would be no export of the scenario from one region to another. "The actions that took place in Tbilisi and Batumi were aggressive in no way. This is a purely political resolution of questions, they are very specific, and our approach to each specific question will depend on the situation. One shouldn't be frightened of it," Mr Khaindrava said.