OPENING ABKHAZIAN RAILWAY DEPENDS ON RUSSIA, GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONSIDERS

The opening of the Abkhazian strip of the Transcaucasian railway depends more on Russia than on the West. Georgian foreign minister Irakly Mengarishvili said when asked by “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” Russian newspaper to comment on statements of a number of observers that the West is interested in Russia having transport communication with Georgia, Turkey, Armenia. At that he again announced the official Tbilisi stand on the issue that the determination of the status of Abkhazia was top-priority and the process of returning Georgian refugees to Gali region should be launched. The minister underscored that Tbilisi believes in realization of agreements between the Russian and Georgian presidents on opening the railway via Abkhazia, return of refugees, restoration of the Inguri hydroelectric power plant. “Otherwise, no one would speak about it,” – he said.