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Georgia Should Restore Rail Communication with Russia through Abkhazia
- Georgian State Minister
arminfo
Saturday, November 3, 11:50
ArmInfo- Black Sea Press. Georgia should restore rail communication
with Russia through Abkhaz section and it is within developed by the
new authorities strategy on de-isolation of Abkhazia, State Minister
of Georgia for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili stated in the
interview to the Kommersant newspaper, which was published on Friday,
November 2.
"I am sure we must promote restoration of transport communication,
both rail and motor vehicle, through Abkhazia. We ought to exclude
political motive and consider the problem exclusively from the
economic point of view", Zakareishvili noted.
According to him, earlier, Georgian authorities tied permanently the
railway issue with Georgian IDPs return to Abkhazia, but it was clear
from the very beginning that it was unreal.
"Georgia has not achieved anything, no one IDP has returned. But if in
due time we consent to restore the railway, I am sure, during some
years many IDPs would returned by it to Abkhazia and nobody would
manage to hamper it, even despite absence of official arrangement on
it", he stressed.
Zakareishvili expressed assurance that the rail communication
restoration would political settlement around Abkhazia, but at the
same time he said that it should not be fixed on documents.
"As soon as the economic situation improved in Abkhazia during
previous years, a inflow of IDPs to Abkhazia increased. Let's taker
construction of Olympic objects in Sochi as an example. It is not in
Abkhazia, but number of Georgians, working in the republic, increased
sharply. The more projects are implemented in Abkhazia with Georgia's
participation, the more chances exist for the conflict settlement", he
said.
In the Georgian State Minister's opinion, implementation of the plan
of rail communication restoration may be begun from cargo trains.
"If we had done it in 2003, passenger trains would have moved. The
issue: all or nothing should not be raised in politics",
Zakareishvili stressed.
According to him, the issue of rail communication has not been
considered at the governmental level yet, but some consultations were
held.
"The railway is working despite everything, but trains move in the
direction of Russia, but not to Georgia, because our former
authorities were against it. Abkhazia should not be tied economically
and with transport only with Russia. If we open traffic in direction
of Georgia, Abkhazes will have an alternative. Russia, Georgia,
Armenia will be able to use this railway. The country's role as a
transport route and its geopolitical importance will increase
considerably: cargo flow will be not only in the east-west direction,
but also to the north-south", Zakareishvili emphasized.
The State Minister also came out for recognition of Abkhaz and South
Ossetian passports' validity on the territory of Georgia and should
have the same rights as Georgian identity cards. According to him,
there is no necessity to coordinate this issue with Abkhaz and South
Ossetian sides.
"It is the case when we can act unilaterally", he noted. As
Zakareishvili said, it was not obligatory to wait till the Georgian
parliament considered that issuer. "Within its powers, the government
may make certain decisions independently. There is possibility to
settle the issue using a method of normative acts", he pointed out.
- Georgian State Minister
arminfo
Saturday, November 3, 11:50
ArmInfo- Black Sea Press. Georgia should restore rail communication
with Russia through Abkhaz section and it is within developed by the
new authorities strategy on de-isolation of Abkhazia, State Minister
of Georgia for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili stated in the
interview to the Kommersant newspaper, which was published on Friday,
November 2.
"I am sure we must promote restoration of transport communication,
both rail and motor vehicle, through Abkhazia. We ought to exclude
political motive and consider the problem exclusively from the
economic point of view", Zakareishvili noted.
According to him, earlier, Georgian authorities tied permanently the
railway issue with Georgian IDPs return to Abkhazia, but it was clear
from the very beginning that it was unreal.
"Georgia has not achieved anything, no one IDP has returned. But if in
due time we consent to restore the railway, I am sure, during some
years many IDPs would returned by it to Abkhazia and nobody would
manage to hamper it, even despite absence of official arrangement on
it", he stressed.
Zakareishvili expressed assurance that the rail communication
restoration would political settlement around Abkhazia, but at the
same time he said that it should not be fixed on documents.
"As soon as the economic situation improved in Abkhazia during
previous years, a inflow of IDPs to Abkhazia increased. Let's taker
construction of Olympic objects in Sochi as an example. It is not in
Abkhazia, but number of Georgians, working in the republic, increased
sharply. The more projects are implemented in Abkhazia with Georgia's
participation, the more chances exist for the conflict settlement", he
said.
In the Georgian State Minister's opinion, implementation of the plan
of rail communication restoration may be begun from cargo trains.
"If we had done it in 2003, passenger trains would have moved. The
issue: all or nothing should not be raised in politics",
Zakareishvili stressed.
According to him, the issue of rail communication has not been
considered at the governmental level yet, but some consultations were
held.
"The railway is working despite everything, but trains move in the
direction of Russia, but not to Georgia, because our former
authorities were against it. Abkhazia should not be tied economically
and with transport only with Russia. If we open traffic in direction
of Georgia, Abkhazes will have an alternative. Russia, Georgia,
Armenia will be able to use this railway. The country's role as a
transport route and its geopolitical importance will increase
considerably: cargo flow will be not only in the east-west direction,
but also to the north-south", Zakareishvili emphasized.
The State Minister also came out for recognition of Abkhaz and South
Ossetian passports' validity on the territory of Georgia and should
have the same rights as Georgian identity cards. According to him,
there is no necessity to coordinate this issue with Abkhaz and South
Ossetian sides.
"It is the case when we can act unilaterally", he noted. As
Zakareishvili said, it was not obligatory to wait till the Georgian
parliament considered that issuer. "Within its powers, the government
may make certain decisions independently. There is possibility to
settle the issue using a method of normative acts", he pointed out.