Jun 02, 2004

Abkhazia: Sukhumi rules out repetition of Ajarian scenario in Abkhazia


The prime minister of the republic of Abkhazia, has warned Georgia against escalating conflicts with his republic and South Ossetia
Untitled Document SUKHUMI. June 1 (Interfax) - Raul Khajimba, the prime minister of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia, has warned Georgia against escalating conflicts with his republic and South Ossetia.

"The Ajarian scenario won't succeed in either Abkhazia or South Ossetia," he told Interfax Monday evening commenting on the latest developments in South Ossetia.

Georgia sent special forces and Interior Troops to the Georgian Ossetian conflict zone on Monday on the pretext of preventing smuggling to Georgia via South Ossetia. Several hours later Lt. Gen. Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces for peacekeeping operations, announced that Georgian Interior Troops had left the conflict zone adding that the matter had been settled.

"Such provocations may result in the resumption of the hostilities that took place in the early 1990s," Khajimba said.

"Those conflicts resulted in Georgia's defeat in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," he said.

"We are ready for talks with Georgia, except questions of the status of Aphasia, but with due account to the need to guarantee security and prevent the resumption of hostilities in the conflict zone," he said.

"If Georgia decides to resume armed conflicts in either Abkhazia or South Ossetia, this will again end badly for Georgia itself," Khajimba said.

He said the situation in Abkhazia is calm and Abkhazia will not permit provocations on either its land or sea border.


Source: Interfax