Russian and Georgian Presidents to Discuss Abkhazian Problem Today in Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze are to meet in Sochi today. The two presidents will discuss ways of resolving the Abkhazian problem, the situation in the Pankisi Gorge, and Russian military bases in Georgia. Yesterday the presidents held a preliminary meeting at which they agreed on the main topics for their talks. According to Putin, Russia has a number of ideas on how to breathe life into certain issues that were agreed on by the two presidents in Kiev.

Putin said that he is counting on the talks being thorough and detailed. Shevardnadze in turn thanked the Russian President for his suggestion to hold a face-to-face meeting. According to Shevardnadze, contacts with Putin have been developing very constructively recently. Putin will also spend the coming holiday weekend in Sochi.