
May 7, 2004 - 05:00 AMT

19:11 GMT
Peace has been established in Ajaria. The conflict was settled peacefully. It was possible to overcome the crisis first of all thanks to Moscow which was very attentive not to initiate protests of Abashidze's followers. So, it is evident that the contradictions between the center and the autonomy were solved not by the leaders of Georgia and Ajaria but with the help of outside forces. The dependence of Georgia from neighboring states - Russia and Turkey - is rather significant and the official Tbilisi could not ignore their opinion. The reason is in the texts of the Moscow and Kars agreements that were the result of the criminal deal between the Bolsheviks and Kemalists. The agreements restrict the sovereignty of Tbilisi towards the territory of Ajaria and allow Moscow and Ankara to intervene in the internal affairs of Georgia.