ABKHAZIA IS CERTAIN THAT ITS RELATIONS WITH GEORGIA WILL BE RESTORED, BUT AS BETWEEN TWO INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN AND FRIENDLY STATES

March 23 - SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- The presidential envoy to the negotiations Vyacheslav Chirikba is certain that relations between Georgia and Abkhazia will be restored in time, but as between two independent, sovereign and friendly states.

“This time hasn't come yet, but we work on it, and we hope that this will happen”, Chirikba said today at a meeting with the UN Secretary General Special Representative Antti Turunen. As he said, it would be an mistake to think that the problem of mutual relations between Abkhazia and Georgia could be solved quickly. This is a long process.

He expressed gratitude to the UN representative for his unbiased approach to the uneasy problems of settlement and for his invaluable contribution to the Geneva process.

“We have very good friendly relations with the United Nations, and it is a pity that the United Nations Mission has ceased to exist in Abkhazia. But it is not our fault. We hope that our long contacts with the United Nations will continue at different levels and in different formats. And the invaluable knowledge of the conflict, of Abkhazia and its people the United Nations have accumulated, will influence the world's attitude to us too”, Chirikba said.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

DOMINO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2011 WILL BE HELD IN ABKHAZIA FROM 17 TO 21 OF OCTOBER

The decision regarding the championship in Abkhazia was made in spring 2010 in Las Vegas, where the previous competition with Abkhazian participants was held. After the end of the championship Arthur Gabunia, the President of the Domino Federation of Abkhazia presented the country as a candidate for the next competition and this offer was unanimously accepted.

Delegates from more than 20 countries including Brazil, US, Canada and others will take part in the championship.

ABKHAZ DELEGATION PLANS TO GO TO NEXT ROUND OF GENEVA DISCUSSIONS WITH NEW ABKHAZ DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS

The issues of functioning of the five-sided mechanism on incidents prevention and response (MIPR) were discussed today at a meeting with the Foreign Minister Maxim Gvindzhia and the UN Secretary General Special Representative Antti Turunen.

At the meeting it was also a question of the outcome of the 15th round of Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia which had taken place on March 4.

Antti Turunen highly assessed the MIPR in which framework regular five-sided meetings in Gal are held, adding that discussions had been held in a positive enough atmosphere. Maxim Gvindzhia told the UN Special Representative that the Abkhaz delegation plans to go to the next round of Geneva discussions with new Abkhaz diplomatic passports. The minister pointed to the fact that many countries which have not yet recognized the sovereignty of the Republic of Abkhazia, in particular Latin American countries, recognize our new passports.

Source: Apsny Press