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Georgian President's Envoy Urges Direct Abkhaz Talks

March 22, 2006 -- An aide to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili today called for direct talks between Tbilisi and its separatist republic of Abkhazia.

Irakli Alasania, whom Saakashvili made his personal envoy to Georgian-Abkhaz peace negotiations on March 20, told a news briefing that his appointment testifies to Tbilisi’'s commitment to peacefully settling its sovereignty dispute with Sukhum.

"We are considering holding direct talks with the Abkhaz side in the near future," Alasania said. "These talks will examine issues that are important to both sides, such as security measures, the return of internally displaced persons, ways to restore and strengthen confidence, as well as issues pertaining to economic cooperation."

Alasania also said work is under way on a "road map" to settle the Abkhaz separatist conflict.

The Georgian parliament has given the government until May 1 to present a peace plan similar to the one that already exists for South Ossetia.

Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia forcibly won de facto independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. Saakashvili has vowed to restore Georgia's territorial integrity within a few years.

(Imedi TV, Civil Georgia)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org