Yerevan/Mediamax/. Abkhazian President Alexander Ankvab stated “multibillion investments” are needed for full rehabilitation of the Abkhazian railway.

“Echo of Caucasus” reports that the Abkhazian leader said this at a press conference in Sukhumi commenting on the statements of the Georgian Prime Minister made in Yerevan this week. 

Speaking on the prospects of resumption of the Abkhazian railway, Bidzina Ivanishvili said in particular that “there are positive signals by our brother Abkhazians”.

“I know on this occasion just as much as you know. There were no any addresses on this matter by any side. And there were no positive impulses on the part of “brother Abkhazians”. If there is something we’ll sit and discuss it”, said Ankvab.

Answering the question on how attractive the settlement of the issue is for Abkhazia itself, the leader of the republic said:

“13-15% of all the cargoes going to Transcaucasia and from it were passing through our sector of the trans-Caucasian railway during the USSR times. It was rather a loaded sector. As for now, it's difficult to say. Specialists should count what the Abkhazian side will have from it, whether it is worth. Everything is extremely vague yet. The expenses are huge'', said Ankvab.

He noted that only the Psou-Sukhumi railway sector is in satisfactory state.

''The remaining from Ochamchiry is conventional. There is nothing at all after Ochamchiry. Multibillion investments are needed for the full railway'', said the Abkhazian President.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili stated that the resumption of the railway communication through Abkhazia is in the interests of Russia and the advancement of the issue without the context of de-occupation is "a criminal, anti-state and anti-Georgian" act.

The Georgian President said this commenting on the statement of the Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili made in Yerevan on January 17, Civil.ge reports.

Mikhail Saakashvili said that "the statement contains some elements and all of them are very alarming".  "First of all, the statement doesn't consider the geopolitical and political strategic interests of Georgia at all", stated Saakashili.

According to him, after the launch of the new railway line of Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars which will link Azerbaijan with Turkey through Georgia, Georgia won't need to open communication through Abkhazia.

According to Saakashvili, Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway line will link Asia with Europe and will compete with Russian Trans-Siberian Railway.

"Naturally, we want good relations with Armenia. We have done much to make way for Armenian cargo", he stated adding that the opening of border checkpoint of Verin Lars served to this end. "Armenia's isolation have never been in Georgia's interests and we have never supported it. But good relations with Armenia is one thing but realization of the strategic plans of the occupant - is another", said Saakashvili.

Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said in Yerevan January 17 that the resumption of the communication across Abkhazia is directly linked to the settlement of Georgian-Russian relations. He added that the Georgian side is interested in earliest decision on resumption of the operation of the Abkhazian sector of the railway.

At the same time, the Georgian Prime Minister noted that the issues in relations between Georgia and Russia are still unsettled.

"There are no issues between Georgia  and Armenia. We had serious problems with Russia which still remain. We hope and make efforts to restore relations with Russia", said the Georgian PM.

Bidzina Ivanishvili answered the question on prospects of resumption of the railway communication across Abkhazia in his exclusive interview  to Mediamax on January 15 as well. Answering the question on Tbilisi's readiness to discuss the prospect before the political settlement of the Abkhazian problem, he said:

"We are always ready for discussion of both problematic and promising issues. It's more important that all the sides involved in the process were ready. We are in nonstandard conditions and the search for innovative approaches to settlement of the current problematic issues is needed".