22:59, 24 February 2007

President of Abkhazia: the problem of Kodor Gorge should be settled politically

In the opinion of Sergey Bagapsh, president of Abkhazia, the political means of settling the problem of the Kodor Gorge have not yet been exhausted.

"As to the military force, we'll always be able to use it," Mr. Bagapsh said in reply to the question why Abkhazia was not returning the Kodor Gorge by force.

President Bagapsh has noted the wisdom of Vladislav Ardzinba, the first president, who had refused in his time from solving the problem by means of force, since he understood that human casualties would have been enormous.

In July 2006, the Georgian authorities deployed their military units in the upper section of the Gorge. They also placed there the government of independent Abkhazia in exile. Abkhazia accused Georgia of breaking the basic Agreement and stated that it would not run any negotiations with Georgia until complete withdrawal of the troops from the Gorge. However, Georgia has failed, despite demands of Abkhazia and mediators in conflict settlement, to withdraw its troops out of the Gorge, and the negotiation process is now in the frozen state.

Author: Anzhela Kuchuberiya, CK correspondent