Georgia not holding talks with Russia on railway through Russian-occupied Abkhazia region, says Georgian Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said the Georgian Government was not not engaged in negotiations with Russia regarding the restoration of a railway connection through the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia.

Papuashvili’s remarks came after the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said that Russia was considering the possibility of resuming railway traffic with Georgia through Abkhazia.

“The Georgian Government has no communication on this matter. As for restoring relations with the Russian Federation, we have stated our position many times. There is a simple prerequisite - the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity”, the Speaker said.