Georgian PM pays tribute to victims of Abkhazia war after transfer of remains

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Government members on Thursday paid tribute to 20 individuals who had been missing since the 1990s war in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region and whose remains were transferred to Tbilisi.

The officials joined a funeral service in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the city for six civilians and 14 combatants whose remains have become the latest to be transferred in the ongoing process of searching for persons missing following the 1992-1993 conflict in the region and the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.

The head of the Government offered his sympathy to families of the individuals at the service, the Government press office said. 

With joint efforts of the Georgian Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross, remains of 604 persons missing following the conflicts have been found in search efforts since 2013, of which 265 have been identified, the press office added.