OSCE delegation visits Sukhum

European diplomats met with the speaker and deputies of the Abkhazian parliament in the republican capital yesterday, September 7. Participants touched upon questions concerning the resolution of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, Abkhazia's political status, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the honoring of Sochi agreements by the Russian, Georgian and Abkhazian leadership.

"Abkhazia had sought for an opportunity to come to an agreement with Georgia until 1999. But not having found any understanding, it held a referendum and proclaimed independence. In this context Georgia has no choice but to recognize our independence. It is the shortest way to the resolution of all problems," speaker of the parliament Nugzar Ashuba said to the OSCE delegates. In his opinion, "everybody should clearly realize the Abkhazian ethnos will not exist as Georgia's part. Mr Ashuba drew the delegates' attention to new Georgian authorities' forcing up the situation around Abkhazia. The speaker raised his concern about the fact that under conditions of the unresolved Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the United States and Western countries provide military aid to Georgia and give it new equipments.