13:50, 24 April 2003

Georgia does not exclude a possibility of Chechen soldiers break into Pankissi Gorge coming summer

Georgia does not exclude a possibility of the Chechen soldiers break into the Pankissi Gorge coming summer. The Georgian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Zurab Abashidze announced it today at the press conference in Moscow.

According to his words, since mountain passes had been opened Georgian authorities took some measures to prevent the Chechen soldiers break to the territory of Georgia. For that the ?multiecheloned? defense from among the employees of the Georgian Frontier Service, special forces of Internal Affairs organs, and police-officers was organized on the Russian-Georgian frontier, the ambassador said.

In accordance with Abashidze?s words, 50 people connected with criminal activities are positioned today in the Pankissi Gorge. Terrorists can also be among them.

Georgian special forces plan to take a number of ?dotty police measures? against those people. According to the Georgian ambassador, 4 thousand refugees from Chechnya are currently located on the territory of the Pankissi Valley. ?We are interested in their quickest return to the Russian Federation?, Z. Adashidze underlined.

Source: RosBusinessConsulting News Agency