TBILISI. May 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian president's envoy for Georgian-Abkhaz settlement Valery Loshchinin will discuss the situation in Abkhazia with the UN secretary general's envoy Dieter Boden and ambassadors of the nations participants in the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary General on Friday.
Loshchinin, who is also Russia's first deputy foreign minister, told Rustavi-2 television here on Thursday night that the meeting would consider the document on division of powers between Sukhumi and Tbilisi and the future status of Abkhazia within the Georgian state. The document was elaborated by Boden.
Participants in the meeting will determine the measures that can and should be taken to put into practice the formula included in the document.
"The situation in the conflict zone is unfavorable, and it has had a tendency towards deterioration lately," Loshchinin said. Specific measures are necessary to calm down tensions in relations between Georgia and Abkhazia, increase the level of trust between the parties to the conflict and thus clear the way towards the beginning of the document's discussion, he stressed.
"It is impossible to solve the Abkhaz problem at once, given that a lot of opportunities have been lost over the past few years," Loshchinin stressed.
"Russia is interested in settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict more than anybody else," because destabilization of the situation in Georgia "inevitably affects the situation in Russia," he noted.
Loshchinin praised the role of Russian peacekeepers in efforts aimed at preventing resurgence of an armed conflict in Abkhazia.
Loshchinin is rounding up his visit to Tbilisi on Friday. It is his first trip after appointment President Vladimir Putin's envoy for Georgian-Abkhaz settlement. Results of the visit will be summed up at Loshchinin's meeting with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.