Georgian, Abkhaz officials sign protocol on exchange of hostages
Georgian Minister of State Vazha Lortkipanidze,
accompanied by several senior military and security officials and by UN
Special Representative Dieter Boden, traveled to Sukhum on 3 February for
talks with Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba and Prime Minister Vyacheslav
Tsugba, Caucasus Press reported. The Abkhaz side had proposed the talks
in the hope of stabilizing the tense situation on the border between Abkhazia
and the rest of Georgia, where rival groups of Georgians and Abkhaz are
demanding the release of co-ethnics held by the other side (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 1 and 2 February 2000). The two sides finally signed a
protocol pledging an exchange within two days of all persons taken hostage
in the past two months. They also agreed to withdraw all illegal armed
formations from the conflict zone within one month and to draw up, with
the help of the UN Observer and CIS peacekeeping forces, a register of
the armed forces in the conflict zone. The number of those forces may not
be increased. LF
=A9 2000 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
=A9 2000 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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