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GEORGIAN TEAM JOINS ABKHAZ RAILWAY STUDY
By M. Alkhazashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 18 2005
On eve of talks, Russian official warns Tbilisi not to connect railway
to return of refugees
After a two-month delay, Georgian railway specialists left for Sokhumi
on Monday, October 17, to take part in a study of the technical state
of the Georgian-Russian railway that transects separatist Abkhazia.
Russia and Armenia regard that the reopening of the railway - which
has been defunct since 1992 - has practically decided. At the same
time it is becoming increasingly obvious the railway will be put into
operation on conditions dictated by Russia.
Minister of Transport of Russia Igor Levitin will visit Georgia by the
end of October. He has expressed hopes that the Georgian side will not
present an ultimatum to him demanding that in parallel to the railway's
reopening, Georgian refugees be allowed to return to the region.
In fact, however, Levitin's words amount to an ultimatum in themselves,
one that the Georgian side is likely to comply with and afterwards
shyly request that progress must be made in terms of returning the
refugees.
On step forward is that now Georgians are participating in the study
of the remaining railway infrastructure. As opposed to when the study
began, in August, this time the Sokhumi separatist regime agreed
to allow the participation of Georgian specialists in the survey,
three of whom are refugees from Abkhazia.
The initial part of the study featured only Russian and Abkhaz
workers. Now, with their Georgian colleagues, they will attempt to
determine the cost of restoring the Psou-Enguri part of the Trans
Caucasian Railway.
Considering the interests of Russia and Armenia in the restoration of
the railway, it will not be a problem to find the necessary monetary
resources. During Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli's visit
to Yerevan, an agreement was reached on the conduction of trilateral
negotiations (Russia, Georgia, Armenia) on the Abkhaz railway issue.
Artur Baghdasarian, chairman of Armenian National Assembly, also
stated that the issue of the Abkhaz railway would be raised at the
upcoming meeting of the presidents of the four Caucasian countries;
Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
However, according to the Secretary of National Security of Armenia
Serj Sarkisian, the issue has already been decided and the Georgian
side has agreed to reopen the Abkhaz part of the railway. He added
that Russia is already conducting the restoration-rehabilitation
works on the railway. "After this, God willing, the railway will
start functioning," he stated, as quoted by the newspaper Akhali Taoba.
The Georgian government had several times before agreed to opening the
railway, though on the condition that Georgian refugees be returned
to Abkhazia in a "safe and dignified" manner.
But Russia, and naturally, the separatist authorities in Sokhumi,
would never consent to these terms. On the eve of his visit to Georgia,
Russia's transport minister issued a warning that local authorities
"not say a word about the refugees."
"During the meeting in Tbilisi I ask my Georgian colleagues not
to directly connect the issue of the return of the refugees to the
restoration of the railway. Otherwise the opening of the railway may
be postponed for a long period," Levitin stated, as quoted by the
newspaper Rezonansi.
As of yet, the only Georgian government official to speak about
the local authorities' position on this issue has been Deputy State
Minister of the Conflict Resolution Gia Volski. As he stated, Levitin
will be happy with his visit in Tbilisi. "We do not connect the return
of the refugees with the issue of the railway reconstruction, but
we do insist that progress is necessary in this issue," Volski said,
as quoted by the newspaper Rezonansi.
But even if the Georgian government does not connect the railway
opening to the refugees' return and if they trust Moscow once again,
it must demand on certain other conditions. Expert on conflict issues
Paata Davitaia laid out these terms as follows:
- A Georgian customs checkpoint must be opened at the Psou River (on
the border of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation); - The railway
should be protected either by Georgian or joint military forces,
because having a foreign state's armed forces protect a railway in
a sovereign country is unacceptable; - The stretch of the railway
running through Abkhazia should be managed by the Georgian and not
the Russian Railway Department; - Sums received from goods transit
on the Abkhazia stretch must go the Georgian state budget.
If these demands are not satisfied, the opening of the railway will
amount to the concession of Abkhazia to Russia. If the government does
so, it will be interpreted by society as a betrayal of its interests.
By M. Alkhazashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 18 2005
On eve of talks, Russian official warns Tbilisi not to connect railway
to return of refugees
After a two-month delay, Georgian railway specialists left for Sokhumi
on Monday, October 17, to take part in a study of the technical state
of the Georgian-Russian railway that transects separatist Abkhazia.
Russia and Armenia regard that the reopening of the railway - which
has been defunct since 1992 - has practically decided. At the same
time it is becoming increasingly obvious the railway will be put into
operation on conditions dictated by Russia.
Minister of Transport of Russia Igor Levitin will visit Georgia by the
end of October. He has expressed hopes that the Georgian side will not
present an ultimatum to him demanding that in parallel to the railway's
reopening, Georgian refugees be allowed to return to the region.
In fact, however, Levitin's words amount to an ultimatum in themselves,
one that the Georgian side is likely to comply with and afterwards
shyly request that progress must be made in terms of returning the
refugees.
On step forward is that now Georgians are participating in the study
of the remaining railway infrastructure. As opposed to when the study
began, in August, this time the Sokhumi separatist regime agreed
to allow the participation of Georgian specialists in the survey,
three of whom are refugees from Abkhazia.
The initial part of the study featured only Russian and Abkhaz
workers. Now, with their Georgian colleagues, they will attempt to
determine the cost of restoring the Psou-Enguri part of the Trans
Caucasian Railway.
Considering the interests of Russia and Armenia in the restoration of
the railway, it will not be a problem to find the necessary monetary
resources. During Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli's visit
to Yerevan, an agreement was reached on the conduction of trilateral
negotiations (Russia, Georgia, Armenia) on the Abkhaz railway issue.
Artur Baghdasarian, chairman of Armenian National Assembly, also
stated that the issue of the Abkhaz railway would be raised at the
upcoming meeting of the presidents of the four Caucasian countries;
Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
However, according to the Secretary of National Security of Armenia
Serj Sarkisian, the issue has already been decided and the Georgian
side has agreed to reopen the Abkhaz part of the railway. He added
that Russia is already conducting the restoration-rehabilitation
works on the railway. "After this, God willing, the railway will
start functioning," he stated, as quoted by the newspaper Akhali Taoba.
The Georgian government had several times before agreed to opening the
railway, though on the condition that Georgian refugees be returned
to Abkhazia in a "safe and dignified" manner.
But Russia, and naturally, the separatist authorities in Sokhumi,
would never consent to these terms. On the eve of his visit to Georgia,
Russia's transport minister issued a warning that local authorities
"not say a word about the refugees."
"During the meeting in Tbilisi I ask my Georgian colleagues not
to directly connect the issue of the return of the refugees to the
restoration of the railway. Otherwise the opening of the railway may
be postponed for a long period," Levitin stated, as quoted by the
newspaper Rezonansi.
As of yet, the only Georgian government official to speak about
the local authorities' position on this issue has been Deputy State
Minister of the Conflict Resolution Gia Volski. As he stated, Levitin
will be happy with his visit in Tbilisi. "We do not connect the return
of the refugees with the issue of the railway reconstruction, but
we do insist that progress is necessary in this issue," Volski said,
as quoted by the newspaper Rezonansi.
But even if the Georgian government does not connect the railway
opening to the refugees' return and if they trust Moscow once again,
it must demand on certain other conditions. Expert on conflict issues
Paata Davitaia laid out these terms as follows:
- A Georgian customs checkpoint must be opened at the Psou River (on
the border of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation); - The railway
should be protected either by Georgian or joint military forces,
because having a foreign state's armed forces protect a railway in
a sovereign country is unacceptable; - The stretch of the railway
running through Abkhazia should be managed by the Georgian and not
the Russian Railway Department; - Sums received from goods transit
on the Abkhazia stretch must go the Georgian state budget.
If these demands are not satisfied, the opening of the railway will
amount to the concession of Abkhazia to Russia. If the government does
so, it will be interpreted by society as a betrayal of its interests.