Four-Party Meeting To Discuss Abkhazia Shooting
March 09, 2006
March 9, 2006 -- Representatives of Georgia, Abkhazia, Russia, and the United Nations are expected to meet today to discuss a shooting incident that left four civilians dead in Abkhazia's Gali district on March 8.
The commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Abkhazia, Sergei Chaban, told the RIA Novosti agency he would chair the meeting, which is due to take place in Abkhazia's Ochamchira district.
Abkhazia blames alleged Georgian paramilitary units for the incident and says Tbilisi is behind the incident.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry in turn says the incident shows neither the Russian peacekeepers, nor the Abkhaz police are able to enforce security in the Gali area.
Tbilisi says an international police force should be deployed in Gali, which is home to many Georgians who returned there after the 1992-93 war that led to Abkhazia's de facto independence.
(RIA Novosti)