MOSCOW, August 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia welcomes the launch of a Sochi-Tbilisi railroad project, and calls for a compromise between Georgia and Abkazia, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
"Russia welcomes the launch of investigation work into rebuilding a railroad connecting the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which is close to the Abkhazian section of the Russian-Georgian border, and Tbilisi - the goal of the project is to renew a rail link through Abkhazia. This follows a decision made at a three-party working group session involving Russian, Georgian, and Abkhasian delegations," ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement.
"At the same time, Moscow was disappointed to find out that Georgian railway officials had suspended their delegation's trip at the last minute, due to Georgian and Abkhazian authorities disagreeing on which individuals should represent Georgia at the talks," the statement said, adding that Georgian authorities have unreasonably, in Russia's opinion, blamed Abkhasia for this.
The Russian Foreign Ministry asks (primarily Georgia) for a compromise, to avoid linking such a major economic project with political ambitions, the statement said.
Russia views the project, which is a part of a set of agreements reached between the Russian and Georgian presidents in Sochi in 2003, as a "major step towards settling the Georgian-Abkhasian conflict," the document said.
