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#38 - JRL 2009-25 - JRL Home
"Separatist Abkhazia" urges EU stop viewing Abkhazia as part of Georgia
Interfax

Tbilisi, 4 February: The (separatist) authorities in Sukhumi will not agree that the EU monitors conduct monitoring in Abkhazia until the EU stops considering Abkhazia part of Georgia.

Abkhaz foreign minister Sergey Shamba voiced the Abkhaz position at a meeting with special EU envoy for Georgia Pierre Morel, UN special envoy for Georgia Johan Verbeke, and special representative of the new Greek Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE Charalampos Christopoulos (held in Abkhazia on 4 February).

Representatives of these three international organizations are co-chairs of the international talks on ensuring security in the Caucasus that are held in Geneva (further round of which is due to take place on 17-18 February).

"At this moment, extension of the mandate of the UN mission in the (Abkhaz) republic is the only possibility providing international presence in Abkhazia," noted Shamba.

Shamba reiterated the statement of the Abkhaz leadership that it was "interested in prolongation of activities of the UN monitors". "However, we are not in such a need of it that could make us to compromise to the detriment of our national interests," highlighted Shamba.

Shamba also said that "cooperation with Russia provides Abkhazia with new opportunities to ensure its security and economic development". "We are also open to carry out cooperation with international organizations, including the European Unions, but we do not agree on those terms that have been offered to us," said Shamba.

"Abkhazia is ready to take part in further round of the Geneva talks. We view these discussions as fulfilment of the last point of the Medvedev-Sarkozy (peace) plan. However, these talks cannot last forever. It is necessary to define exact time limit and format of these meetings," said Shamba.