Georgian Security Minister: Chechen militants cannot penetrate into Russia

Chechen militants cannot penetrate from the Pankisi Gorge into Russia, Valeri Khaburdzania, Georgian State Security minister, assured.

"This is absolutely impossible," he told a Thursday press conference in Moscow. No organized militant formations have remained in the Pankisi Gorge, he is sure.

"Maybe one, two, three but no more militants would like to get into Russia," the Georgian minister added.

In his opinion, militants from the Ruslan Gelaev gang will never return to the Pankisi Gorge. "I don't think Gelaev will like to be there", Khaburdzania said.

He also said that the advent of winter would not worsen the situation in that region. "This winter will be calm for us", the Georgian minister promised.

In his information, a year after the Georgian secret services began an operation in the gorge the situation there has stabilized.

"Locals say all is quiet there", Valeri Khaburdzania added.