Paata Zaqareishvili, the new minister on reintegration affairs, declared that recently Georgia initiated the discussions on the Abkhazian railway exploitation that joins Armenia and Georgia. The minister however states that the discussion does not necessarily mean the exploitation itself and unless there is an agreement on this issue with Russia, no actions can be made. Zaqareishvili also mentioned in case there are preconditions either by the Abkhazian or Russian sides, the railway will not function as it did not throughout the previous 20 years.
The president of the strategic and international studies Georgian fund Aleksandr Rondeli informed the First News and Analyses, that the cooperation should engage not only Russia and Georgia but Abkhazia as well, only in case of any preconditions, Georgia will cease the discussions. He considered the argument about Russia demanding Abkhazia’s independence groundless, stating that Georgia will collapse without this railway, hence, if there is a misunderstanding in the matter, Georgia will not open it. The expert added that Georgia will survive without that railway in case an agreed-upon decision is not reached on this matter. Rondeli concluded that Georgia’s new government is striving to reestablish friendly relations with its powerful neigbour Russia.
