Abkhazian authorities are ambiguous to plans of Radio Liberty to broadcast in Abkhazia

Sergey Shamba, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Abkhazia, told journalists today that last week the top managers of Radio Liberty submitted an official letter to the MFA with an offer to open its representative office in Abkhazia.

"I said that it should not be a Georgian project. They convinced me that this is a South-Caucasian project, and I gave my consent to opening their representative office in Abkhazia," Mr Shamba has noted. The head of the MFA has emphasized that he stands "for expansion of the freedom of speech; the main point is that it should have nothing to do with Georgia in any way."

According to his story, the radio station has announced a contest among local journalists who specialize on Abkhazian and South-Ossetian topics. Three Abkhazian radio journalists will participate in the contest.

"Our group is going to Prague for taking part in the selection; and we'll see there, whether we should agree and on what conditions," the Minister has added.

At the same time, the Department of Governmental Information and Mass Communication Means of Abkhazia is categorically against broadcasting of Radio Liberty in the republic.

"An attempt to start Radio Liberty's broadcasting over the territory of Abkhazia will be illegal with all the respective consequences," the "Apsnypress" quotes Christian Bzhaniya, head of the Department, as saying.

"We know nothing about this project. Nobody from the editorial board of Radio Liberty has addressed the establishments in Abkhazia, competent to solve such issues," he has added.

Mr Bzhaniya said that should the radio station start broadcasting over Abkhazia, his department will take "tough measures, including technical ones, up to suppressing the radio signal."

"We have such opportunities. Then, all this Georgian-Radio-Liberty swindle will go broke, since, I believe, the Georgian editorial board of the radio expects to get certain funds for the project," he has added.

Maxim Gvindzhiya, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Abkhazia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he believes that broadcasting of Radio Liberty in the territory of Abkhazia "unacceptable should it propagate Georgian values."