SOLANA TO VISIT GEORGIA

TBILISI, June 5 (Itar-Tass) - The European Union's High Representative for External Relations and Security Javier Solana will visit Georgia.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said Solana would discuss during histwo-day visit a "peaceful settlement of the Abkhazian conflict within the framework of the internationally recognized borders of Georgia".

Solana will meet Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze, the chief of the UN observer mission in the area of the Abkhazian conflict, Jean Asrnaud, and France's ambassador to Georgia Eric Fournier, who leads a delegation of ambassadors of 15 countries of the European Union.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said Solana would travel on Thursdayafternoon from Tbilisi to Batumi, where he will meet Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

He plans holding talks with Abkhazia's leader Sergei Bagapsh inSukhumi on Friday.

Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili earlier called Solana's visit a "signal for speeding up a peaceful settlement of the Abkhazian conflict".

"Solana has not been to Georgia for several years, and the fact that he decided to come now is an important sign that the EU has begun to rapidly think over mechanisms of advancement of the peace process.

Georgian authorities will assist this process," Tkeshelashvili said.