TBILISI. Nov 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian National Security Council Secretary Tedo Dzhaparidze said that there is a long way to go before a decision is made on the fate of eight out of 13 Chechens detained with arms on the border in August.
"The main problems have a legal nature," Dzhaparidze told the Rustavi-2 television on Wednesday. He negotiated on the issue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Rushailo in Moscow the day before.
The secretary stressed that officials of the Russian and Georgian prosecutor general's offices are discussing the problem in detail.
Asked whether one of five Chechens died during their extradition to Russia, Dzhaparidze said that he does not have "precise data" on the matter and promised to check it out once again.
Dzhaparidze arrived in Moscow on Monday on instructions from Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to discuss important aspects of bilateral relations. He will return to Tbilisi on Thursday and leave for a working visit to the United States on Friday.