MOSCOW, MARCH 14, RIA NOVOSTI - Aslan Abashidze, Adzhar republican president, is to leave Moscow by air. He promised to specify the flight for President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia, Badri Meladze, republican First Deputy Prime Minister, said to Novosti. He heads the Adzhar legation in Russia.
As Mr. Meladze assumes, in today's telephone conversation with Abashidze, President Saakashvili threatened to order his plane brought down as the recalcitrant republican leader would be coming back from Moscow to Batumi, Adzhar capital.
To that, Aslan Abashidze promised to specify the flight time and number to ease the task.
It is being settled now whether Abashidze is to fly back.
In the same eventful phone conversation, President Saakashvili was also intimidating the Adzhar leader with prospects to arrange an international blockade of the republic, and repeated his demand to pass the Batumi seaport and customs office into Georgian jurisdiction, alleges Badri Meladze.
