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Siamanto
06-19-2005, 04:20 PM
ARMENIA TO TAKE PART IN RESTORATION OF RAILWAY THROUGH ABKHAZIA

Pan Armenian News
16.06.2005 04:37

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The route of the rail communication between
Russia and Georgia through the Abkhazian segment is promising in
many respects, "however, now there are more questions than answers
toward the its launching," Russian Railways Public Corporation head
Gennadi Fadeev, who was participating in the meeting of the CIS
Council on Rail Transport, told journalists, reported Regnum news
agency. Specifically, he noted the financial aspect of the issue,
pointing out the restoration of the Abkhazian segment of the railway
"will cost 2.5 billion rubbles or some $100 million." Fadeev supposes
that in case the Abkhazian part is restored, "all interested parties,
including Armenia and event Azerbaijan to some extent" should take
part in rehabilitation works. At that Fadeev stated readiness to
"make every effort toward rehabilitation of the Abkhazian part of the
railway." "We are ready to send best carriages via Moscow-Tbilisi route
and to arrange daily communication," he said. In his turn Chairman of
the Department of Railways of Armenia Ararat Khrimyan told journalists
the Armenian party plans to join the project, if Russia and Georgia
pass a final decision on rehabilitation of the rail segment and if
it is the case Armenia will allocate some means for implementation
of the project. "If the project is real, we will really think of it,
as everybody needs this railway," he underscored. Meanwhile, Georgian
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli emphasized in a conversation with
journalists that he would not like "excessive euphoria in the matter,
as there are many questions that need to be solved." "This first of
all includes securing refugees, rather Gali region population," he
said. The Georgian PM refrained from answering the question, whether
a decision on restoration of the Abkhazian rail was passed at the
political level. In his words, "the issue is not a simple one and
relates to the solution of many organizational questions - the topic
has been discussed by the Russian and Georgian parties many times,
including in the course of the Russian PM Mikhail Fradkov's visit
to Georgia June 3." Nogaideli noted that the question of restoration
of rail communication via Abkhazia was not considered at the meeting
of the CIS Council on Rail Transport, however it was discussed with
Russian Railway Public Corporation head Gennadi Fadeev.




http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg115893.html

Siamanto
06-19-2005, 04:33 PM
Georgia positive on Abkhaz railway, says PM
By Keti Sikharulidze

The Messenger, Georgia
June 16 2005

Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli said on Tuesday that Georgia is
"now positive" regarding the reopening of the Sochi-Tbilisi railway
via Abkhazia.

Speaking with journalists before addressing 41st CIS Railway Council
taking place in Tbilisi, PM Noghaideli noted that Georgia had
previously been against reopening the line, but said that "the new
authorities have recently taken a more positive stance on this issue."

Nevertheless, he said there were a number of problems connected with
the rail link's reopening, including first and foremost "the safety
of IDPs in the Gali region, so we have to do a lot of work before
realizing the project."

One important issue that will need to be discussed before an agreement
can be reached is who is to pay for reconstructing the Abkhaz-Georgian
section of the railway, which the Head of the Russian Railway Company
Genadi Fadeev said would cost at least USD 100 million.

Speaking in Tbilisi on Wednesday, Fadeev added that "this cost will
further increase if we include rehabilitation of [the portion of the
railway] over the Enguri river," as quoted by civil.ge.

Assuming the sides agree to reopen the connection, "I think all
participating countries - Russia, Georgia, also Armenia and to a
certain extent Azerbaijan as well - should fund the implementation
of this project," he stated, adding that Russia was prepared to do
all it could to speed up the process.

Chair of the Armenian Railway Department Ararat Khrimyan expressed
Armenia's willingness to join the project to restore railway
communications, providing Russia and Georgia were able to reach
an agreement.

"If the project is real, we shall certainly consider it. The route
is necessary for everybody," he stated.

Chair of Georgian Railways Davit Onoprishvili suggested that an
agreement would indeed be reached, and that "sooner or later" the
railway would be reopened.

"We are ready [to launch the rehabilitation process]. Today, groups
are meeting in Moscow to negotiate the technical issues. The fact is
that this railway should be reopened sooner or later and Georgia will
benefit," he said, as quoted by civil.ge.

Indeed, as PM Noghaideli noted, a task force is currently meeting in
Moscow to discuss the issue within the framework of the June 15-16
talks on reopening the railway and the return of Georgian refugees
to Gali.

State Minister for Conflict Resolution Giorgi Khaindrava, who is
leading the Georgian delegation at the talks, said that the task
force has been set up to calculate the full costs of the project.

Back in Tbilisi at the 41st CIS Railway Council, representatives from
all twelve CIS countries as well as associate members Bulgaria, Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland discussed a number of railway issues
including the safety of carriages and a number of technical issues.

The most important issue for Georgia was the discussion of the
Poti-Kavkaz railway-ferry link between Georgia and Russia, which
operated only twice and then was terminated by the Russian party.

According to the agreement signed in January the Russian side undertook
obligations to operate the ferry regularly, but as Onoprishvili noted,
the service took place once in March and once in April before being
stopped.

"We think that this is unacceptable and the issue should be solved,"
he told journalists.


http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg115943.html

Red Brigade
06-20-2005, 12:18 AM
Gali is part of the western unrecognised Abkhazia and it has many Georgian residents.Abkhazia is an autonomous region and not recognised.There are many tensions in that region.Georgia should first improove their relationships with Abkhazia.


The autonomous regions of Georgia.The road will come from the north west.The blue part is the Western Abkhazia where the United Nations (UNOMIG) have active presence.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/georgia/images/georgia-area.gif

Sochi in the map.
http://www.libellen.org/epallage/pictures/pubs/Sochi_text.jpg

You can see Western Abkhazia and Gali and the direction of the future road,if constructed, in this link,if you zoom.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/georgia/images/unomig.pdf

Official Site of UNOMIG.
http://www.unomig.org/

*UNOMIG: United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia