Below is an article published by Civil Georgia:


Russia is allocating 2 billion rubles (about USD 67 million) in loan to Sokhumi to repair sections of
Abkhaz railway, Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported on January 24 [2011].

Christina Organ, the breakaway region’s economy minister said, the agreement on providing loan
was signed in December, 2010. The first team of specialists from the state-owned Russian Railway
is expected to arrive in Sokhumi on January 25 [2011], Apsnipress reported.

The repair works will span over three months and reconstruction will cover railway sections from
the river Psou on the Russian border to Sokhumi, as well as on a section between the towns of
Tkvarcheli and Ochamchire.

Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh said after meeting with Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin in May, 2009,
that the breakaway region’s railway would be transferred to Russia with management rights for ten
years. He also said at the time that Russia would allocate 2 billion rubles for railway repair works.

The Russian Ministry of Defense deployed its Railway Forces in Abkhazia in May, 2008 to repair
some sections of the Abkhaz railway; the move was strongly condemned by Tbilisi, which said at
the time that Russia was preparing infrastructure in Abkhazia for possible military aggression.

In July, 2008 Russia announced about withdrawal of its Railway Forces from Abkhazia saying
that it repaired a 54-kilometer section of railway between the capital Sokhumi and Ochamchire,
including eight railway bridges.