Written question asked by Martyn Jones (Labour) on Friday, 22 October 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 28 October 2004. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Thursday, 28 October 2004 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Georgia-Abkhaz peace process.

Answer: Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Georgia-Abkhaz peace process. [193915] Mr. Rammell: Talks between the parties, under the auspices of the resident Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations continue, but 2004 has been a period of reduced diplomatic activity overall. The new Georgian Government concentrated their attention first on Ajara and then on South Ossetia; and political energies in Abkhazia have focused on the leadership elections which took place there on 3 October. We have continued to keep in touch with the parties, with the United Nations, and with our French, German, Russian and United States colleagues on the group of Friends of the Secretary-General. We look forward to the early reactivation of work on confidence-building, with particular reference to the conditions needed to ensure the safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons, in the first place to the Gali district of Abkhazia.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 425 c1385W; 193915
Session: 2003-04
Subjects: Borders Peacekeeping operations Peace negotiations Georgia Abkhazia
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk