11:26, 6 May 2004

Abashidze resigns, leaves Adjaria

Head of Adjaria Aslan Abashidze has resigned and left for Moscow together with Secretary of the Russian Security Council Igor Ivanov.

"Adjaria is free, the unification of all Georgia has begun," President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili said during a short briefing commenting on the fact that Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze had left the country. "This is the first successful case in the post-Soviet space when separatism has been suppressed. This is a remarkable day in the history of Georgia and the beginning of a new epoch in the county's life," he noted.

Mikhail Saakashvili has given instructions to his representatives in Adjaria to take control and guarding of strategic facilities and not to allow gunmen's movement on the territory of the republic.

The information on Abashidze's departure was confirmed earlier by Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania.

Talks between the Adjarian leader and Secretary of the Russian Security Council Igor Ivanov preceded the resignation of Abashidze.

Before the Georgian army started an operation to disarm "illegal armed units" in border districts of the autonomy.

Source: RosBusinessConsulting News Agency