While Georgian gov’t seeks direct dialogue with Russia, Putin pledges to ‘ensure national security’ of Abkhazia
By Levan Abramishvili
Tuesday, October 1
“Please receive warm congratulations on the national celebration of the Republic of Abkhazia – the Day of Victory and Independence. I am pleased to note that relations between our countries are developing dynamically based on the principles of alliance and strategic partnership.
I would like to assure you that Russia will continue to assist in ensuring Abkhazia's national security, as well as in resolving socio-economic issues,” writes Putin.
On September 23, Putin ordered the Russian government to sign an agreement with Abkhazia on financial allocations to support the modernization of Abkhazia's de facto armed forces.
Meanwhile, the opposition fractions United National Movement and European Georgia requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Davit Zalkaliani to answer questions at the Parliament. This comes after a meeting of Zalkaliani and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
"The meeting itself is not a problem. Why was the public message so ill-prepared? Why did Russia win over our country in propagating in this matter? You should have meetings with a hostile state and dialogue is needed, but here are two factors: you have to have a strategy, what is your message. Gia Volski [the leader of the parliamentary majority] has made it clear that he is holding Georgian citizens hostage [those arrested in connection to June 20-21 events] to not inflict political pain on Russia, and for Georgia to see less harm. And if the meeting was about restoring flights, I have nothing against flights, but it is an even more damaging approach for Georgia when the occupation line is being pushed, not to mention that the agreement is not being fulfilled and they are not taking out the army, when they kidnap and kill our citizens,” said one of the leaders of European Georgia Giga Bokeria.
Independent MP and former member of the ruling Georgian Dream Eka Beselia also agrees that Zalkaliani needs to clarify the details of the meeting.
“I see the need for Zalkaliani to come to Parliament. He has to provide much more information on this very important last meeting. Whose initiative was it? Why it happened and in what format? More information on whether the interests of the country were protected should be provided. The contrary remarks on this meeting leave room for dissatisfaction and unanswered questions,” Beselia said.
The ruling team speaks of the necessity of direct dialogue with Russia. Vice PM and the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Maia Tskitishvili noted that the meeting was organized thanks to the Swiss partners.
“First of all, we should note that we do not have diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia and 20% of our country is occupied. In this situation, when Switzerland is a mediator between Russia and Georgia, of course, this meeting was organized through our Swiss partners. From our strategic partners, from the OSCE, from the UN Secretary-General, from all of our international partners, we have seen a high appreciation of the fact that the dialogue has started,” said Tskitishvili.
According to her, no conflict can be resolved without a dialogue.
“Diplomacy is the only way to solve the problems that exist between countries and, first of all, the problems that concern our population, especially the people who live in the occupied territories and along the administrative boundary line. The problems we have are very acute, there is a huge range of these issues, and of course, all of those are a subject of discussion and dialogue. Of course, the dialogue must continue, the dialogue has no alternative,” noted Tskitishvili.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also responded to the meeting in New York between Zalkaliani and Lavrov, saying the Russian side is convinced that the interests of the peoples of Russia and Georgia require a direct and honest conversation.
“Unfortunately, we still hear faded theses about “occupation”. It seems that our Georgian colleagues are concerned not so much with the content and direction of the talks but with the protocol and format,” reads the statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry thanked Switzerland for facilitating the meeting.
“For the first time in 12 years, a meeting between the Ministers of the two countries in New York focused on finding a way out of a difficult situation in which Georgian-Russian relations got into, including the June-July events.
We take this opportunity and would like to thank Switzerland, which for the past 11 years has represented the interests of Russia in Georgia and the interests of Georgia in Russia. This meeting was held with its support,” the statement reads.
“The fact that Russia doesn’t recognize the occupation shouldn’t be news to any of us, in the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, this phrase shouldn’t surprise us,” responded the majority MP Tamar Khulordava to the statement.
Twenty-seven years have gone since the armed conflict broke out in Abkhazia, which lasted thirteen months and thirteen days, resulting in the deaths of between ten and thirty thousand soldiers and civilians. 300 thousand people became refugees or internally displaced. The war ended with the Abkhaz capture of Sokhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, on September 27, 1993. The day is commemorated in Georgia as a tragedy, with Government officials and civilians taking time to pay respect to those killed in protecting the territorial integrity of Georgia. While in Abkhazia, the day is celebrated as the day of victory and independence.
After the five-day Georgia-Russia war of 2008, Russia completed the annexation of Abkhazia on 26 August 2008, formally acknowledging the Abkhazian state's ‘independence.’ Despite the efforts of imperial Russian forces, as recognized by the international community, the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia remains a legitimate, integral part of Georgia.