RIA Novosti has not been able to get any commentaries on this issue in the Moscow mayor's office.
Luzhkov flew to Adzharia on March 16, during the previous aggravation of the relations between Tbilisi and Batumi. At that time, due to the closure of the air space over the autonomous republic, he had to fly across Turkey.
"I have arrived in Batumi to support my friend (head of Adzharia Aslan Abashidze) at a difficult time," Yuri Luzhkov said then. The Moscow mayor also spoke about his readiness to act as a mediator in the negotiations between Tbilisi and Batumi.
Meanwhile, the Georgian leadership is expecting the resignation of Adzharian leader Abashidze already this Wednesday, Georgian state minister Georgy Khaindrava said.
"Otherwise, the opposition's demonstrations may get out of control and the development of the situation will not be in his (Abashidze's) favor, Khaindrava told journalists.
A group of the supporters of the Adzharian opposition, which has arrived from Tbilisi at the administrative border with Adzharia, is now holding negotiations with representatives of the autonomous republic's security services seeking the permission for activists to cross the border.
As the Imedi Television Company reports, leader of Our Adzharia opposition movement Eduard Surmanidze is holding negotiations on behalf of the opposition. The group of volunteers intending to cross the border includes about 500 persons.
With reference to the participants in the Batumi meeting, the Imedi Television Company reports that the Adzharian telecommunications and communications minister has joined the opposition. Apart from that, about 1,200 servicemen of the Georgian border guards have left the place of their location and joined the persons who are holding a meeting in front of the building of Batumi University.
Adzharian health and social protection minister Guliko Shervashidze has resigned in protest against the policy of the Adzharian leader.
As the Novosti-Georgia news agency reports with reference to the Imedi Television Company, the heads and the staff of the Adzharian fire emergency service, the staff of the Police Academy and about 800 doctors from various medical organizations of the autonomous republic have announced their support for the Georgian central authorities.
Last night four deputies of the Adzharian parliament gave up their mandates and joined the opposition, which is demanding the resignation of Abashidze. This news was reported by one of these deputies, Temur Dzhashi, during his speech at the opposition meeting in Batumi.
First deputy interior minister of Adzharia Elgudzha Dzhincharadze has arrived on May 5 from Batumi into Tbilisi and said that he is no longer subordinate to the Adzharian leader. He has already held meetings with Georgian Prosecutor General Irakly Okruashvili and deputy state security minister of Georgia Gigi Ugulava.
In a talk with journalists, Ugulava said that this step by the high-placed official of the Adzharian law-enforcement bodies who is considered as the person close to the Adzharian leader "is evidence of the fact that the close circle of Abashidze is experiencing a shortage of people and the days of the head of the autonomous republic are numbered."
Ugulava noted that Dzhincharadze would provide information to the Georgian government about the processes taking place within Abashidze's close circle.
