Abkhazian President: Russian peacekeepers are our choice

The Georgian-Abkhazian conflict can only be resolved with Russia’s help, Abkhazian President Sergey Bagapsh said after a meeting with President Medvedev in Moscow on Thursday. He also said Abkhazia does not see an alternative to the Russian peacekeepers a

Bagapsh stressed that Abkhazia rejects any attempt to oust Russia from this process.

“Abkhazia has made its historical choice – it is a rapprochement with Russia. We will not deviate from this path,” he added.

For his part, Medvedev urged Abkhazia and Georgia to honour a ceasefire signed in Moscow in 1994, as well as UN Security Council resolutions on the conflict.

Abkhazia's push for independence from Georgia led to a bloody war in the early 90s.

Russian peacekeepers have since been in the region on a UN mandate, separating the conflicting sides.