Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.22
Trend:
Restoration of railway communication with Russia through Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia is a matter of bilateral Georgian-Abkhaz relations, the head of Russian Railways JSC Vladimir Yakunin told reporters Oct.22 in Baku during the 61st meeting of the Council for Rail Transport of CIS countries and the Baltic States.
He said that in case of restoration of this rail link, Armenia will also be able to gain access to Russia by the railway through the territory of Georgia.
"At least I don't participate in these negotiations, but I know, colleagues who represent the Georgian side come to me and say that they are trying to negotiate with the Abkhaz side in order to open this section of the railway," Yakunin said. "Of course this is the issue of bilateral relations. "Russian Railways" has long said that it is ready.
Railway communication between Georgia and Russia over Abkhazia was interrupted in the 90s of the last century due to conflict, just one of the conflicts in the Caucasus exacerbated by the collapse of the USSR.
On the night of August 8, 2008, military actions were launched on the territory of South Ossetia, Georgia. Later the Russian troops occupied the city and drove back the Georgian military. In late August, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In response, Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced two unrecognized republics as occupied territories.