Abkhazia Today

The Politics of Non-recognition in the Context of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict

2012-01-04T18:34:00.003+02:00

Publisher: International Alert

Date: Thu, 03/31/2011

ISBN: 978-1-906677-89-3

No. of Pages: 44 pages

Summary:

In this study, Georgian and Abkhaz researchers examine one of the fundamental polarising issues of the conflict – the political status of Abkhazia. While Russia formally recognised Abkhazia as an independent state in August 2008, the ‘non-recognition’ of Abkhazia remains the cornerstone of Georgian and international policy. Georgian researchers explore how sustainable the policy of non-recognition is, under what conditions the policy might fail and what Georgia would do in those circumstances. The Abkhaz researchers examine what opportunities and limitations their current status of ‘partial’ recognition affords them, and what concessions Abkhazia might be willing to make in order to get recognition. A survey of respondents reveals some surprisingly ambivalent attitudes towards the question of recognition, though the reader should avoid drawing the wrong conclusions from this.

Download: http://www.international-alert.org/sites/default/files/publications/201103GeorgiaAbkhaziaEN-1.pdf

No more minefields in Abkhazia

2011-11-02T14:16:00.005+02:00

The British-registered HALO Trust charity has cleared the last of minefields in Abkhazia, a spokesman for the NGO said.

HALO Trust, which has been working in Abkhazia since 1997, has destroyed 9,700 landmines and about 50,000 items of ordnance and cleared 360 minefields.

The Abkhazian authorities describe HALO Trust’s results as impressive.

About 500 civilians were killed by landmines in Abkhazia since 1993, and 10 demolition engineers were injured.

Sukhum - Angela Pataraya

2011-09-11T13:31:00.003+03:00

BBC - As I observe the situation in Abkhazia, I have seen some positive developments the past couple of months.The process of establishing civil society is becoming more lively now and more and more people are getting involved in the social, cultural and political life of their country.Our society is starting to react to events outside the country and in the wider world, people care about what the government does, whether they are in agreement or disagreement, in short society has become more interested and it is alive.I can't help saying that it has also become more politicized and this is not that good in my opinion.Some may argue that I sound too positive about the whole process, but no one says that there is a perfect country with a super active civil society.We are moving forward, slowly but surely.There is a variety of different cultural events for example, which attract people of different ethnicities and backgrounds as both participants and audience. Of course you can see it more in Sukhum, because it's the capital. Unfortunately in other towns and villages the process is much slower.

Closer to the New Year holidays, I can feel a little change in people, no matter what age and profession. Everyone becomes a little bit happier, more attentive to others, more helpful, more kind.Sukhum has become a cleaner town, because of several social campaigns against trash in the streets; and now when it is clean, it is even nicer.For the holidays it is being decorated with bright and sparkling lights everywhere, and Santas are all around. Maybe it's a common characteristics of holiday time in all countries, but the spirit and atmosphere are unique everywhere.I am enjoying it and I'm delighted to see people forgetting their worries and frustrations.Our recognition in 2008 provided us with a feeling of security and it gave our society a new breath of air, new hope, and an inclination towards positive things. Now that society feels secure, people feel more confident and can fully devote themselves to see the New Year in. Probably it is the best thing about the recognition so far.Another development that i would like to highlight is the diversity of people in the streets. Besides Abkahz, there are Abkhaz from the diaspora, Russians, Armenians, Megrelians (more of them are coming to Sukhum to work and that is good), Uzbeks, Turks, and foreigners coming from Western countries, visiting Abkhazia for various research activities or business. I see this diversity as a positive sign, because i hope it can somehow help our country to grow and develop. We just need to promote more tolerance and treat each other with love and respect.As for myself, I feel i have more opportunities to pursue my goals and work for the better of my country and society, because i am a part of it. There are of course still very many obstacles and negative moments that we face but its a challenge, for me as much as for everyone.

Source: BBC Azeri

Abkhazia has lots of preconditions to be a sovereign state

2011-09-03T12:37:00.005+03:00

Interview with Fred Weir, a CIS correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor.

Fred, thanks for joining us. Patrick Buchanan in his story says that Senate had no right to criticize Russia on Abkhazia and South Ossetia, do you share this view?

I suppose it is important to know that Pat Buchanan is a very prominent member of the Republican Party, he ran in the presidential primaries twice, in the 1990s, but he is of that part of the Republican Party, that wing of the party, that is often termed isolationists, which means that his criticism is not based on any particular love of Russia or support for the Russian position. His position is that the United States should not get involved, in very large parts of the world where it can only do bad. This is his argument, and he says in the article that the United States is just unnecessarily antagonizing Russia over a matter that the United States has no business involving itself in. So this is a position, but it is a minority position within the Republican Party and it is not going to be widely accepted. But today in the Republican Party the same position is held by Ron Paul, who is part of this wing of the party the same as Buchanan is, and Ron Paul is not only running in the presidential primaries, he is doing very well in using the same arguments that the United States should get out of a lot of these foreign entanglements, there is no business being in Iraq or Afghanistan, building an empire, having troops in Korea or in Germany still. This is what is often termed isolationism, and it is surprising that it is doing well in the Republican presidential primaries so far.

Fred, have you been to Abkhazia, have you seen the developments in the republic?

Yes, I spent a couple of weeks in Abkhazia in 2008 just before the war, just weeks before the war broke out, and first of all I was stunned by the natural beauty of that place, it is really an amazing national creation that will do very well if they can solve their political problems. I am sure that even when I was there, there were enormous numbers of Russian tourists in places like Gagra, and I am sure that this will only get better, that the prospect is excellent, but especially in the southern part of Abkhazia, Sukhum and further all the way down to the border there, most of the infrastructure is still destroyed from the war; in the capital Sukhum even lots of buildings are still bombed out, they have an enormous amount of work to do.

But do you believe that they can develop into a sovereign state?

Sure, I don’t see why not. We know there are lots and lots of places that are members of the United Nations, little tiny dots on the map, which are sovereign states. It is not rocket science apparently to manage a sovereign state. There are some places in Africa or South Pacific would never make it, if they had high-standard statehood. So I am sure Abkhazia has lots of preconditions to be a sovereign state, it is just caught in the political gears or geopolitical gears, which prevented from being recognized by the world, because the world and particularly the West argues that it has to settle its issues with Georgia, and it is under international law, and it is true. Under international law it is part of Northern Georgia, and it is an issue that has to be worked out.

Fred, can I ask you one question about the Russian-American relations? So as you know this Abkhazia and South Ossetia issue is a matter of contention in our relations. So do you think it can jeopardize the reset process, it can poison our relations, or we have agreed to disagree on that subject?

I think that the worst moment of course was at the time of 2008 war, and that was when it all blew up and George W. Bush was still President of the United States, and he had a fairly hostile attitude towards Russia, so I don’t think that this is going to get worse. It remains a frozen problem. These problems remain and they can blow up in the future, there is no doubt about that.

Source: The Voice of Russia

One small step towards recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia?

2011-08-31T14:13:00.005+03:00

The recent presidential elections in Abkhazia have reignited the debate concerning the legitimacy of any internal political developments in the two newly independent states, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Both the EU and the US declared the elections illegitimate – notwithstanding the fact that there had not been any major violation of voters’ rights or incidents that might shed any doubt concerning the outcome. It was as simple as that – “both Abkhazia and South Ossetia are integral parts of Georgia, both are occupied by Russian military forces, hence the people of those ‘breakaway’ republics have no right whatsoever to express their will”.

Even before that, commencing its five week-long vacation, the US Senate unanimously adopted Resolution 175 which recognizes both Abkhazia and South Ossetia as integral parts of Georgia “occupied by the Russian Federation”.

Amongst all the usual Western fuss on the issue, one voice has been very distinctly (and I must say, rather unexpectedly) heard. A prominent American conservative commentator and presidential ex-candidate Patrick Buchanan wrote an opinion piece “Why Are We Baiting the Bear?” published on “The Post Chronicle” website on August 28.

“Is the Senate trying to reignite the Cold War?” asks Mr. Buchanan, and answers, “If so, it is going about it the right way.”

Next question, “What is wrong with Senate Resolution 175?” And the answer is, “Just this. Neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia has been under Georgian control for 20 years. When Georgia seceded from Russia, these ethnic enclaves rebelled and seceded from Georgia.”

To this I might add. The only period in history when the two territories WERE under Georgian control, was the few decades-long Soviet period – and that was only due to the policy of “Georgianization” pursued by Stalin. When after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia chose to disintegrate, the same right was granted to all autonomous entities. Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia overwhelmingly decided to remain within the former Union, which in today’s terms would be equal to uniting with Russia.

Further, Patrick Buchanan debunks a number of myths or stereotypes prevailing in Western minds.

One is the myth of the “Russian invasion, or aggression against Georgia”.

“This is neocon propaganda,” writes Mr. Buchanan. “Russian troops are in those enclaves because in August 2008 Georgia invaded South Ossetia to re-annex it, and killed and wounded scores of Russian peacekeepers.” And the ongoing presence of Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is basically “a deterrent to Saakashvili (Georgia’s necktie-eating President. – B.V.), whose agents have been working Capitol Hill to push the United States into a confrontation with Russia on Georgia’s side.”

Further on, Mr. Buchanan outlines a number of examples clearly demonstrating the hypocrisy and the double standards of the U.S. policy. What seems most significant is the rare (for any Western public figure) recognition of the fact that there is basically no difference between the situation with Kosovo and that with the two independent (but not as widely recognized) states in the South Caucasus. Kosovo’s independence, as we remember, was achieved only due to massive Western support, including 1999 NATO bombings of sovereign Yugoslavia.

“Do we not have enough on our plate in Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan not to be telling Russians how they should behave in lands closer to them than Grenada or Cuba is to us?” asks Patrick Buchanan. The question hardly needs an explicit answer.

Of course, Mr. Buchanan is no longer an active public politician or official, so his opinion may be disregarded by the establishment as a personal view of just one individual. But neither has he ever been identified as a Russian (or, Soviet) crony, therefore I should say that such an opinion expressed by a well-known, prominent and influential commentator is more than just simple jabber of an ordinary man-in-the-street.

Probably it will still take a long time before the truth about Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s independence dawns upon decision-makers in Washington, but Patrick Buchanan’s article is a clear sign that the process has already begun.

Source: The Voice of Russia

Abkhazia: presidential election, political future, by George Hewitt | OD

2011-08-30T13:45:00.006+03:00

30 August 2011, openDemocracy -- The Black Sea republic of Abkhazia has elected its third president since securing effective independence from Georgia in 1993. The tiny country faces economic and social difficulties, in part deriving from its lack of international recognition. But its democratic experience deserves more attention and respect than much of the world seems prepared to give, says George Hewitt in the capital, Sukhum.

The month of August tends to be an eventful one in the small Black Sea republic of Abkhazia. In 2011, the country was already set to mark a series of anniversaries connected to the events of the last two decades: the war for survival and independence from Georgia (August 1992 - September 1993), and - after fifteen ensuing years of de facto sovereignty - the confirmation of its statehood following the Georgia-Russia conflict over South Ossetia in August 2008, a statehood which Russia itself (on 26 August) was the first formally to recognise.

Then, an unexpected event changed the character of the season: the death at an FSB hospital in Moscow on 29 May 2011 of Abkhazia’s president, Sergei Bagapsh, as a result of complications following an operation for a smoking-related complaint. The loss of Bagapsh, who had been re-elected for a second term in 2009 and was scheduled to hold the post until 2014, necessitated an election within three months (according to Abkhazia’s constitution) to choose a successor.

Three candidates competed for the post, two of whom resigned in July from their government posts in order to run their campaigns - Alexander Ankvab (the acting president following Bagapsh’s death, who had also served as prime minister, 2005-10); Raul Khadzhimba (who had served as vice-president, 2005-09 following a dispute over the presidential election of 2004 in which he had run against Bagapsh); and Sergei Shamba (the serving prime minister until the election was announced, and Abkhazia’s foreign minister, 1997-2010).

UNPO Congratulates Alexander Ankvab, Abkhaz President-Elect

2011-08-30T00:20:00.003+03:00

Following the confirmation of Alexander Ankvab as the next president of the Republic of Abkhazia, the UNPO has extended its congratulations to the president-elect in a meeting held in Sukhum on 29 August 2011.

________________

Below is a UNPO letter of congratulation to President-Elect, Alexander Ankvab,

The Hague, 28 August 2011

Your Excellency,

On behalf of the fifty members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization I wish to extend to you our congratulations on the announcement of your election as President of the Republic of Abkhazia. As Abkhazia enters a new phase in its history we wish you and your government every success in meeting the new and changing opportunities facing the country and its people.

The peaceful conduct and execution of Abkhazia’s presidential elections demonstrates the strength of democracy in Abkhazia today and the resilience of a country faced with both the untimely loss of its leader and a testing electoral campaign. UNPO was privileged to be amongst those observing the presidential elections and I hope that we will deepen the long association between Abkhazia and UNPO under your administration.

Just as both the Republic of Abkhazia and UNPO have changed immeasurably over the past twenty years, so it is my belief that both are in a much better position to face the demands of the twenty-first century. I look forward to our future collaboration and raising international understanding of Abkhazia today.

Yours sincerely,

Marino Busdachin

UNPO General Secretary

Source: UNPO

Bako Sahakyan sent congratulatory letter to President Abkhazia

2011-08-29T15:06:00.002+03:00

On 29 August President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter to President-elect of the Republic of Abkhazia Alexander Ankvab, Artsakh President’s press office reports. The letter particularly reads:

“On behalf of the authorities, people of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic and myself I cordially congratulate You on the persuasive victory gained in the presidential elections and being elected the President of the Republic of Abkhazia.

I am confident that Your rich experience as a state and political figure, knowledge and personal qualities will have an important impact on the stable development of Abkhazia, further strengthening its independent statehood.

I hope that during Your presidency the relations between our countries will not only preserve the gained positive dynamic, but also come to a qualitatively new level.

I congratulate You once again on being elected to this high and responsible post. I wish You good luck and successes in all Your undertakings directed to the prosperity of fraternal Abkhazia.”

Source: Panorama.am

Abkhazia to hold democratic election August 26 – acting president

2011-08-25T20:44:00.005+03:00

SUKHUM, August 25 (Itar-Tass) —— The speaker of the Parliament of Abkhazia, Nugzar Ashuba, the acting president of the republic, has said that August 26 will see democratic elections.

"We have witnessed true competition by three politicians in our country. All three candidates are worthy people," said Ashuba at a meeting with observers from several European countries, Venezuela, Latvia, Nauru, the Dominican Republic, Armenia, the Dniester Moldovan Republic and also the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.

According to Ashuba, Raul Khadzhimba is an experienced man, who did much for the country. Sergei Shamba in modern history is one of the founders of the struggle for the independence of the Abkhazian people, who did much for his country, including fight for its defense with weapons in hand. Alexander Ankvab is a worthy man, who has extended great services to the country and the people."

The presidential candidates, according to Ashuba, have been fulfilling their obligations under the agreement signed in July, For Honest and Clean Elections.

"They have had every chance to quietly stay in Sukhum, and communicate with their voters using modern technology, but they daily meet with them, going around every town and personally presenting their programs. This is a serious contest of ideas, not a physical confrontation between the candidates," said the acting president.

Ashuba advised observers to study the local election legislation and see for themselves how democratic it is.

"We try to make presidential elections as transparent as possible," he stressed.

On August 26 Abkhazia will hold early presidential elections. Three candidates are contesting the post – Vice-President Alexander Ankvab, opposition leader Raul Khadzhimba and Prime Minister Sergei Shamba. In the 35 constituencies there have been established 172 polling stations, which will be open on the election day from 08:00 to 20:00 Moscow time. According to CEC Chairman Batal Tabagua, this time Abkhazia will not open any polling stations at military units, contrary to the previous practice.

"The CEC decided that the military should vote at ordinary civilian polling stations. We believe that this is more democratic," said Tabagua.

According to preliminary statistics, 143,735 voters will be able to cast their ballots.

A group of over 100 monitors will observe the elections.

Source: Itar-Tass

ALLS - Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly under the Georgian mesmerism

2011-08-24T12:59:00.005+03:00

ALLS - The science of mesmerism emerged roughly at the end of the Age of Enlightenment and the very early beginnings of Romanticism. Originally introduced by Franz Anton Mesmer, the emergence of mesmerism during this time significantly influenced British social, political, and cultural thought.

A 1791 London publication explains the Mesmer’s theory of the vital fluid: “Modern philosophy has admitted a plenum or universal principle of fluid matter, which occupies all space; and that as all bodies moving in the world, abound with pores, this fluid matter introduces itself through the interstices and returns backwards and forwards, flowing through one body by the currents which issue there from to another, as in a magnet, which produces that phenomenon which we call Animal Magnetism”.

Politically, mesmerism was used as an explanation for a confusing time frame involving not only a resistance to enlightened thought but also a period fraught with war and conflict, including the French Revolution. Likewise, political individuals and those in government positions who faced the daunting task of maintaining a stable country in the midst of warfare and political strife, also used mesmerism as an explanation for the behavior. Mesmerism became a politically threatening tool because it is believed that it can be used to bend the will of individuals mesmerizing people into passive puppets.

Rt Hon Bruce George in his publication titled: “Sham elections in Abkhazia should not distract us from finding peace in the Caucasus” said that “he took part in a conference in Batumi, on the Black Sea coast, to discuss security issues and the steps Georgia is taking to prepare for NATO and EU membership. At his capacity as Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly he regularly did battle with those who wanted to turn a blind eye to Russian aggression. He also expressed satisfaction with rapid development of Batumi as testament to what is being achieved”.

Judging from his conclusions: “Compare this to life in Abkhazia. Residents live in rundown conditions. There is little or no infrastructure and corruption is rife”. It should not be that surprising that having no knowledge of what Abkhazia is or who Abkhazians are he seems showed no desire to travel to Abkhazia preferring the Georgian version of schooling.

Had the Georgians not withheld evidences of their forced resettlement of the Georgian (mostly Megrelian) population into Abkhazia at the result of which the number of the Georgian(Megrelian) population in Abkhazia significantly increased in a majority and the conclusion that “Prior to 1992, ethnic Georgians made up half of the population of the area” would not be ever stressed upon.

Concealing their essence Georgians definitely passed over in silence the fact that those resettled Georgians were housed in the houses of evicted into Kazakhstan residents of Abkhazia and that those Georgians who fled after the 1993 return of Abkhazians are citizen of Georgia and Georgian language speakers whom they virtuously play with using them as a trump card in their battle for territories.

The assertion “the vast majority of Georgians have been forced out, their lives ruined, homes destroyed, and their property handed over to new Russian dwellers” is currently in use of the Georgia’s policy makers who show no concern of the Abkhazians in Abkhazia, who had forced Abkhazians out during the Georgian occupation in 1992-1993, ravaged Abkhazian villages to the ground, property was handed over to Georgian soldiers, lives ruined, homes yet destroyed. Who cares really that great number of Abkhaz people were subjected to various indignities, insults and ethnic cleansing during the Georgian occupation.

Georgia perhaps is veiling its purposes when it makes somebody to conclude that “These displaced people now live in other parts of Georgia, in accommodation provided by the Government, or with friends and family, but they dream of returning to their homes”. Conceivably there is not a single case in the world practice where the country’s own citizens are granted a refugee status moreover for about 20 years they are being deprived of possibility to be integrated into their native community.

The survey was carried out by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) in conjunction with Conciliation Resources, with the financial support of the European Union’s Instrument for Stability. This policy-brief is based on the findings of a survey conducted in June 2010 among one thousand refugees from Abkhazia, displaced as a result of the 1992-93 war. Only 9% would consider return if Abkhazia remains outside of Georgia’s jurisdiction.

Georgia’s message that the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will not to be retaken by force looks encouraging however in the light of Georgian mesmerism is not yet confident.

ALLS Media Monitoring Team

Sukhum, Abkhazia

14 August 1992 - Georgian Point of View‏

2011-08-17T14:03:00.008+03:00

Rustavi

19th anniversary of start of war in Abkhazia marked on August 14

14.08.11 12:49

19th anniversary of the start of the war in Abkhazia is marked today. On august 14, 1992 the Russian troop invaded Georgia`s region of Abkhazia and still continue to occupy the territory.

Deputy Chairman of Georgia`s Parliament Paata Davitaia and members of the We Ourselves movement commemorated the heroes tragically killed in the war. They laid flowers on the memorial of the people killed in the war.

According to the uncertain data, 16 thousand people - 10 thousand Georgians and 4thousand Abkhazians - were killed in the war with Russia.

http://www.rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=42812&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=

_________________________________________________________________

- "Eyewitnesses in Sukhumi said that several thousand Georgian troops in tanks and armored cars, supported by helicopters, moved into the town early this morning waving cheerfully and flashing victory signs." Reading Eagle, 15 August 1992

- "... we need to remember the times we were living in back then and what was going on in Georgia at the time. But [Tengiz] Kitovani, the defence minister, should never have sent troops to Sukhumi. That was our biggest mistake." Eduard Shevardnadze (Documentary: Absence of Will)

- "In the first place, the Ossetian war [1991-92] in Tskhinvali had just ended. The Georgia National Guard suffered heavy losses. We were exhausted. That’s why I thought it was reckless to go into Abkhazia. But I was told that the 13th-14th August was a good time to launch a military operation because the Russian Parliament was in recess. Unfortunately, we entered Abkhazia in a very disorganized way. We didn’t even have a specific goal and we started looting villages along the way. As a result, in the space of a month we managed to make enemies of the entire local population, especially the Armenians." Gia Karkarashvili [General - Army Commander of the State Council of Georgia] (Absence of Will)

- "...Additionally, the Commander-in-chief of Georgian troops in Abkhazia, General Georgiy Karkarashvili warned in a televised formal address to the Abkhaz and Georgian people in Sukhumi on August 24, that no prisoners of war will be taken by the Georgian troops, that if 100,000 Georgian lose their lives, then [on the Abkhazian side] all 97,000 will be killed; and that the Abkhaz Nation will be left without descendants. The delegation saw a video recording of this ominous speech." (UNPO - http://www.unpo.org/downloads/AbkGeo1992Report.pdf)

- "There are only 80,000 Abkhazians, which means that we can easily and completely destroy the genetic stock of their nation by killing 15,000 of their youth. And we are perfectly capable of doing this." Goga (Giorgi) Khaindrava (Le Monde Diplomatique, April 1993).

- "They offered three choces: 1. Georgia should become a federation with Abkhazia. 2. Abkhazia should become a republic within Georgia. 3. A two-chamber parliament should be set up. Georgia said no to all of these things." Georgi Anchabadze (Absence of Will)

- "If I’d thought for one moment that something was about to happen I would have got my family out of there. But it was a complete shock to me when the war started. I was on holiday when it happened. I was swimming in the sea when I saw two helicopter-gunships dropping bombs on the town. I could see black smoke rising around my house. We counted 55 tanks." Guram Odisharia (Absence of Will)

- "...When Georgian troops under general command of Defense Minister General Tengiz Kitovani first entered Sukhumi on August 14, Georgian soldiers attacked non-Georgian civilians, beat them, killed many, robbed them, and looted their houses and apartments. Reports of attacks on Abkhazian, Armenian, Russian, and other non-Georgian minority civilians, including killing, torture, and burning, looting or smashing of houses or other belongings, originate from many regions of Abkhazia under Georgian military control and for the entire period since August 14." UNPO: November 1992 Mission to Abkhazia, November 1992, b. Human Rights and Cultural Destruction

The website for Sergey Shamba, candidate for president of the Republic of Abkhazia, is now available at: www.aidgilara-apsny.org

2011-08-12T12:01:00.007+03:00

SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- The website of Sergey Shamba, candidate for president of the Republic of Abkhazia, is now available at: www.aidgilara-apsny.org.

The pages of the site contain information about the candidate himself and the course of the election campaign. Apsnypress was informed of this by Angelina Lavrenova, press secretary of Sergey Shamba’s campaign staff.

Sergey Shamba also has his own pages on the social networks Twitter and Facebook.

Presidential candidate Aleksandr Ankvab also has a site of his own - www.ankvab.info.

Information about the course of the election campaign of Raul Khadzhimba can be found on the site www.aiaaira.com.

Source: Apsny Press

Some thoughts arising from Alexander Rahr's Interview "Abkhazia and South Ossetia will not return to Georgia‏"

2011-07-14T20:33:00.007+03:00

By Metin Sonmez

from the interview: Alexander Rahr: Abkhazia and South Ossetia will not return to Georgia

‏

Q. You used to say that recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia was a “cowboy” deed. What do you think now, was it an emotional decision or a strategic political step?

A. That's a very interesting question, but I have no answer to it yet. We don't have full information about the events which took place in 2008. Russia has been supporting Abkhazia and South Ossetia for 18 years of the conflict with Georgia.

Most of the 1990s, especially when Shevardnadze-protege Andrei Kozyrev served as Boris Yeltsin’s Foreign Minister, Russia’s policy was by no means pro-Abkhazian, a CIS-blockade being imposed along Abkhazia’s River Psou border with Russia.

An excerpt: "Under Yeltsin, in 1994, (immediately after the end of the Georgian-Abkhazian war), Abkhazia was subjected to a severe economic and political blockade. According to these sanctions, no Abkhazian man aged from 16 to 65 could legally cross the Russian-Abkhazian border along the River Psou. The list of what could be taken in and out of the blockaded republic could be written on a scrap of paper. Even ordinary antibiotics, without which no medical institution could function, were prohibited.

Yeltsin's Russia seemed to be carrying out an experiment on a country that had suffered enormous loss of life, one whose economy and infrastructure had been completely destroyed. The Russian Foreign Minster at the time, Andrei Kozyrev, tried to do all he could to force President Vladislav Ardzinba to become part of Georgia again. But the severe blockade, which lasted until Vladimir Putin came to power, did not break the will of the Abkhazian people to build their own independent nation. It was under President Putin that relations with Abkhazia began to improve gradually." (Lesson to the West: Abkhazian independence is a fact by Inal Khashig).

We all know that it was Georgia that started the 1992-93 war. Sunsequently, Boris Yeltsin, together with Georgia, placed Abkhazia under a regime of sanctions. Indeed there are reasons to believe that Yeltsin actually gave Shevardnadze the green light to attack Abkhazia on 14th August 1992 in the first place.

Excerpt: "Moreover, there were other indications that Russia (Yeltsin) knew of Shevardnadze's plan and was prepared to look the other way. Commenting on the unruly nature of the Kartvelian forces, Shevardnadze remarked that he was against sending his troops into Sukhum: 'I wanted our military units to go around Sukhumi and move to Gagra... When I spoke to Yeltsin on the next day [after the beginning of hostilities], he told me: "The generals can get out of control and you, as a smart man, should know it."'['The Georgian Chronicle', Monthly Bulletin, January-February 1993, p.7.]

http://www.abkhazworld.com/articles/analysis/406-absence-of-will-commentary.html

Guram Odisharia says (in "Absence of Will" documentary film): "At first the Georgians were better armed. The Russian government gave us a whole tank division. But then they started to arm the Abkhaz too."

As you know many volunteers from the North Caucasus (Circassians, Chechens, Abazas...) came to Abkhazia to fight against Georgia, but they were Russian citizens, and Georgia have always made capital out of this; indeed they are still trying to show that actually the war in Abkhazia was a Russian-Georgian war (rather than a Georgian-Abkhaz one).

Dodge Billingsley, explains this situation very well: "Abkhazian units, which included diaspora-Abkhazians from Turkey, Syria, Jordan as well as North Caucasians, were much better prepared to fight together for a common cause. The presence of outside volunteers on the Abkhazian side prompted Georgia and many external observers to conclude Russian complicity in favour of Abkhazia. Many in Georgia and elsewhere feel that the war was really a Russian-Georgian conflict. This is a complicated issue. Technically, all volunteers from the North Caucasus were Russian citizens. The real question, however, centres on motivation and how the volunteers saw themselves. There were many indications that Chechen assistance to Abkhazia was stimulated by independent aspirations related to a pan-Caucasian federation rather than any Russian plot. The best known Chechen to fight against Georgia, Shamil Basaev (now deputy to Chechen's President Maskhadov), stated that 'as long as the small Abkhazian people suffered in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, his units would help them, but in the event of hostilities between Russia and Georgia, the volunteers would fight on the Georgian side'[30]." (Military Aspects of the War. The Battle for Gagra (The Turning-point), by Dodge Billingsley)

It might also be appropriate to adduce Basaev's interview at this point: http://www.combatfilms.com/cfrtv_archive_0009.asp

Some western scholars also contribute to Georgia's black propoganda with their scribblings. Take, for example, Antero Leitzinger (Political historian and researcher for the Finnish Immigration Service) who writes so: "When the Soviet colonies had nevertheless declared independence in 1991, militant Muslims like the Chechen Basayev brothers, and some of Hikmatyar's "Afghan Arabs", were invited by the GRU to join an "Islamic cause" on behalf of Abkhazia against Georgia. Although the war of 1992-1993 was depicted as a war of independence for the traditionally Muslim Abkhazians, the Basayevs and other Muslim volunteers soon found out, that this was far from the truth. The so-called Abkhazians were old-time Communists who refused to accept democratic changes. Instead of gaining more autonomy, Abkhazia - just like Karabakh and Transdnestria - became practically operated by Russian secret services, and engaged in international arms trade and training of terrorists." (Roots of Islamic Terrorism: How Communists Helped Fundamentalists)

First Basaev and other North Caucasian volunteers did NOT come to Abkhazia in support of any "Islamic cause" but only to offer assistance to Abkhazia under the auspices of the "Confederation of the (Mountain) Peoples of the Caucasus". (Basaev's above-interview and Billingsley's piece contribute a useful antidote here.) Hikmatyar's "Afghan Arabs" claim is simply too risible to merit a response. By the way Mr. Leitzinger says that Abkhazians are "traditionally Muslim", but everybody properly acquainted with the region knows that the majority of Abkhazians within Abkhazia are Orthodox Christians (about 75%) — so much for the "Muslim Abkhazians" of Abkhazia. I am not sure what the author means by the phrase "so-called Abkhazians"; probably he is following the absurd claim proposed by some Georgians that "real Abkhazians are Georgians and modern Abkhazians (Apsuas) came to Abkhazia in the 17th century from the North Caucasus", but basically, as one can easily see, Georgia and its backers have no compunction about distorting history to serve their self-interest, and, unfortunately, such self-interest is based on lies. Can one imagine Mr. Leitzinger calling Circassians "so-called Circassians" or referring to "so-called Chechens"? Of course not, because his and his country's self-interest does not allow him to use such phrases, whereas he can easily distort Abkhazian’s or anyone else’s history. On this basis, I think one could fairly employ the term "so-called historian" of anyone who is ready to alter history for their own self-interest...

So it is simply wrong to say that Russia has been supporting Abkhazia and South Ossetia for 18 years of the conflict with Georgia.

*****

Q. Because of Kosovo… as revenge?

A. No. Russia might have waited several months and gone through international courts to achieve recognition of the republics, as the EU experts proved that the initiator of the conflict was Georgia. In this case their independence was more legitimate. South Ossetia was defending itself from Georgia, but what about Abkhazia? Its independence was recognized as well.

It was very clear that after S. Ossetia Georgia's second target would be Abkhazia. The 1994 Moscow Accords which formally marked the ceasefire in the Georgian-Abkhazian war delimited a demilitarised zone. Despite this, Saakashvili decided in the spring of 2006 to introduce an armed force that he disingenuously described as a 'police-force' into the Upper Kodor Valley, the one part of Abkhazia over which the Abkhazians had not reestablished control when they achieved their military victory at the end of September 1993, on the pretext of establishing order in an area previously controlled by a local Svan strong-man named Kvitsiani; this Valley was part of the demilitarised zone. No sanctions were taken against Tbilisi by the international community as a result of this blatant infringement of the 1994 ceasefire-agreement. Between May 2006 and the expulsion of these troops on 12 August 2008, when the Abkhazians finally brought the whole of the Kodor Valley back under their control, much money was invested in the district by Tbilisi in order to demonstrate what benefits might flow from Georgian benevolence. The region was restyled 'Upper Abkhazia', the so-called Government of Abkhazia in Exile was transferred to a new headquarters in the village of Chkhalta, where the Abkhazians found a 'NATO Information Centre' along with a sign boasting 'Our Goal Is Near' when they entered the valley after the Georgian forces had fled in disarray, and a branch of Zugdidi Bank (with cash-dispensing machine) was set up in neighbouring Azhara. A landing-strip was constructed, and a HUGE amount of weaponry (largely American, Israeli, Ukrainian) was taken up and stored there — for what purpose has never been explained. All of this ordinance was captured by the Abkhazians and removed to Sukhum, where it was briefly put on display together with trophies from the military base at Senaki in neighbouring Mingrelia, similarly abandoned by Georgian forces in their own headlong retreat when they realised the Abkhazians had crossed the border over the R. Ingur and were heading for that base. Also captured was a computer on which were found telling photographs depicting US military instructors giving lessons to Georgian troops in how to construct improvised bombs which can be seen at http://www.abkhazworld.com/articles/analysis/406-absence-of-will-commentary.html (end of page).

See also the documentary film ''Georgia - Crisis in the Caucasus'', by Journeyman Pictures (September 2008), which clearly shows everything.

In this documentary Colonel Christopher Langton, who has served as both deputy head of the UN's mission in Abkhazia and as Britain's defence attaché in Georgia refers to: "...its [the West’s] assistance to Georgia and the fact that Georgia abused that friendship by using weapons and equipment given to them for illegal purposes."

CHRISTOPHER LANGTON: “I remain convinced that the Georgians attacked Tskhinvali before Russian units moved from North Ossetia into South Ossetia.”

Q. But the Georgian action came after a series of incidents which shrewd observers of the Kremlin say may have been designed to provoke the Georgians into a war they couldn't win.

CHRISTOPHER LANGTON: “I don't know if 'trap' is the right word, but I would certainly say that a number of things had been going on which would have definitely provoked Saakashvili into some type of action at some time, and they did, so the provocation was deliberate – I'm in no doubt about that.”

Of course, one might talk about provocations against Georgia just before August 2008, but, at the same time, we should not miss the enormous provocations against Abkhazia which took place for years after the 1992-93 war and were committed by such Georgian government-backed terrorist-organisations as The White Legion and The Forest Brothers, through to the Georgian government-sponsored assault FROM THE KODOR VALLEY by a group of Chechens under Ruslan Gelaev in 2001, and the aforementioned introduction of troops into the Upper Kodor Valley in 2006.

Unfortunately, the West preferred to turn a blind eye to these things and to many other provocations organised by GEORGIA.

Basically, Abkhazia (like S. Ossetia) has been defending itself from a Western-backed Georgia for more than 18 years. This, then, is the answer to the question "What about Abkhazia?"

Metin Sonmez

Editor

AbkhazWorld.com

The US reinforces Georgian armor‏

2011-06-11T14:06:00.004+03:00

June 10, 2011

The army has received 40 Hummer vehicles

By Georgy Dvali, Tbilisi

The US has transferred 40 military-version Hummer vehicles to Georgia. The Pentagon explained the direct military assistance to Georgia with the necessity to train an additional contingent of Georgian special forces for their deployment to Afghanistan. At the same time, experts have no doubts that such a generous gesture of the US has ulterior motives it is aimed to show the congressional critics of the current administration that it is not abandoning its main ally in the Caucasus for the sake of the reset with Russia.

The solemn ceremony of the transfer of 30 Hummer 1151 vehicles and 10 armed Hummer 1151 1 vehicles to Georgia took place at the Georgian Defense Ministry's Krtsanisi training center, located near Tbilisi. The ceremony was attended by the First Deputy Defense Minister of Georgia, Nodar Kharshiladze, and temporary US Charge d'Affairs Kent Logsdon. His immediate supervisor, US Ambassador to Tbilisi John Bass, is now on honeymoon back home.

The editor in chief of Arsenali, an independent analytical magazine, Irakli Aladashvili, noted in an interview with Kommersant that according to its specifications, the Hummer belongs to a class of armored vehicles that the Georgian army already has in its inventory in particular, the Turkish Cobra, the Israeli Wolf and the Georgian Didgori. The combined cost of the 40 US vehicles amounts to about $5 million. According to Kommersant's sources in Georgia's Defense Ministry, the received vehicles will be used in the training of military units leaving for Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the vehicles will not be used in the combat zone. According to Kommersant's source, "the vehicles are not being rented out by the US, but are being transferred as a gift; in other words, they will remain in the inventory of the Defense Ministry's units and subunits after the end of the operation in Afghanistan."

Recall that Tbilisi will soon significantly raise its level of participation in the operation of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAS). The announcement of Tbilisi's readiness to make this step was made by the White House after a recent meeting in Rome between US Vice President Joe Biden and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Kommersant's sources note that another battalion of 600-650 contractors will be deployed to Afghanistan, where 950 Georgian troops already serve today. Thus, in the near future, the Georgian contingent in the country will be the largest of any non-NATO state.

The US has been providing direct military assistance to Georgia since 2002. Within the framework of the "train and equip" program, the Pentagon supplied several old Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters to the country, which are still being used by the Georgian Air Force, as well as about a dozen trucks. Since then, certain influential US senators, including former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, have repeatedly urged the US administration to start supplying defense weapons to Georgia.

According to Irakli Aladashvili, as a result the White House took the middle ground.

"Georgia was given armored vehicles, which could very well be equipped with anti-tank missiles, as well as antiaircraft weapons. [The Hummer vehicles] are much better than the Toyota cars which have been used by the Georgian Armed Forces during the war in August for the relocation of small units," explained Aladashvili.

The transfer of the armored vehicles coincided with the entry of the US Navy warship "Anzio" into the port of Batumi, where it will remain until June 12. The cruiser is equipped with guided missiles and state-of-the-art technology. The crew consists of 31 officers and 305 sailors. During the stay at Batumi, the US sailors will conduct joint training operations with Georgian Coast Guard staff.

Source: Kommersant

Georgia to Send More Troops to Afghanistan in 2012

Vanuatu Daily Post: Foreign Affairs Minister apologises

2011-06-11T00:31:00.002+03:00

…eyes trade relations with Abkhazia and Georgia

By Jane Joshua

Vanuatu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfred Carlot has apolgised for the miscommunication between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vanuatu’s UN Representative-Donald Kalpokas in New York.

This, minister Carlot said, was due to his absence on a multilateral mission abroad in Seoul.

But he made Vanuatu’s stand on recognition for Abkhazia clear when he revealed Vanuatu is looking forward to establishing Trade relations with the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of Georgia in the “very near future”.

“As the Minister of Foreign Affairs I reaffirm Vanuatu’s recognition to the Republic of Abkhazia,” said minister Carlot.

“Vanuatu signed diplomatic relations with the Republic of Abkhazia in Port Vila on May 23, 2011 by Prime minister Sato Kilman.

“Vanuatu conducts an open foreign policy and is amongst other members of the international community in eradicating colonialism from the face of this planet. Vanuatu is neutral; our recognition of Abkhazia does not in any way mean that we cannot have diplomatic relations with the Republic of Georgia.

“We wish to extend our most sincere invitation to the Republic of Georgia to establish relations with us.

“One of our roving ambassadors will be visiting the region later this year.”

Minister Carlot further revealed that having personally studied at the Moscow University on an exchange scheme( MGIMO) in 1987 he has a “very good understanding of the geo-political situation in that region”.

Abkhazia has Sergei Bagapsh as its president and Georgia’s president is Mikheil Saakashvili.

Boasting a population of over 250,000 (Christians and Islamists) with agricultural (citrus fruit, tobacco, tea, timber,) coal and hydro-electric power as its natural resources Abkhazia is considered to be the break away region of Georgia(1992-1993 war) and its economy is highly dependent on Russia.

Despite declaring its independence in 1999 it is not recognised by many international communities and Vanuatu is only the second country in the Pacific after Nauru to recognise Abkhazia.

Here are some key dates in the history of Abkhazia as provided by the BBC:

756 - Independent kingdom formed, 985 - Becomes part of Georgia, later regaining independence, 1578 - Comes under Turkish rule, 1810 - Russia declares Abkhazia a protectorate, 1864 - Russia annexes Abkhazia,1931 - Soviet authorities incorporate Abkhazia into Georgia, 1991 - Georgia declares independence, 1992 - Georgia sends troops to stop Abkhazia breaking away, 1993 - Fierce fighting ends with Georgian forces being expelled from Abkhazia ,1994 - Ceasefire agreed, peacekeepers arrive, nearly all Russian, 1999 - Abkhazia declares independence, 2004 - New Georgian president Saakashvili vows to restore Georgia’s territorial integrity and return Abkhazia, South Ossetia to the fold, 2008 - Russia formally recognises Abkhazia’s independence, following the Russian-Georgian war over South Ossetia and 2009 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits.

Source: Vanuatu Daily Post

Abkhazia to elect new president on August 26

2011-06-08T11:03:00.003+03:00

SUKHUM (June 8) Abkhazia will go to the polls to elect a new president on August 26, following the death of President Sergei Bagapsh on May 29.

The date was set by a resolution passed by the Parliament of Abkhazia on Wednesday.

Bagapsh, 63, who had led Abkhazia since 2005, died of cancer in Moscow following an operation on his lungs.

Georgia and hasty comparisons, by Cem Oguz

2011-06-04T18:48:00.002+03:00

Hurriyet Daily News (29 May 2011)

Nowadays, a new wave of domestic turmoil is allegedly threatening Georgia’s political stability. Last week’s popular protest against President Mikhail Saakashvili, organized by one of his previous comrades-in-arms, former parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze, demanded his immediate ouster.

The demonstrations immediately attracted the attention of the international public, which has been engrossed in recent popular uprisings in the Middle East. A certain segment of the Western media, for instance, particularly those who basically follow the events from their offices in Moscow, was not late in describing the demonstration as the latest Arab spring wave and one set to sweep through the former Soviet republics.

Burjanadze, too, plays to this card. She accuses Saakashvili of monopolizing political power in Georgia and claims that a “new revolution” has inevitably started in Georgia. The fact that the rallies were launched to thwart the annual Independence Day parade in one of the main squares of Tbilisi suggests that the opposition is trying to create a kind of “Tahrir Square effect” in the country. The organizers of the protest have indeed declared that they are modeling their actions on the popular uprisings that swept the Middle East recently.

Since his rise to power on a wave of democratic optimism during the famous 2003 “Rose Revolution” that toppled Eduard Shevardnadze, I have been following Saakashvili with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I appreciate his reforms, first and foremost his vivid fight against corruption. I traveled through almost all the ex-Soviet countries and have closely observed that it was this institutionalized daily-life phenomenon that raised many people’s hackles.

On the other hand, however, I have been critical of Saakashvili’s semi-authoritarian tendencies and overdosed self-confidence, best exemplified by his attempt to solve the impasse in the Abkhazian and South Ossetian problems by military means. Indeed, in those days his decision to resort to force was a kind of self-destruction. It was very clear that Russia, due to the Kosovo crisis, would respond extremely harshly. Those who sincerely want to find out what led Saakashvili to take such a decision need to look to the commitments he was given by the neo-cons of the George W. Bush administration, particularly by then Vice President Dick Cheney.

I still believe, nevertheless, that reservations similar to those of mine are not enough to demand his resignation. And more importantly, to compare what is going on in Georgia with the recent popular uprisings in the Middle East is nothing more than nonsense. The reasons are very simple:

The driving force for change in the Middle East has sprung from youth motivated by a lack of hope, as well as disgust. Yet those who took part in the recent demonstrations in Georgia are older people, struggling to cope with low pensions and rising prices. The heart of their beef with the president is the accusation that he has failed to tackle poverty. In contrast, the Georgian youth find their hope in Saakashvili and they are somehow embedded with the regime. Neither they nor the newly emerging middle class want a return to the political instability or corruption that plagued the country before Saakashvili rose to power.

And more importantly, the popular uprisings in the Middle East arose from a deep ground swell. It was spontaneous. The “new revolution” in Georgia, in turn, is one designed from the top. It seems to be compulsive. Accordingly, opposition in Georgia lacks credibility among ordinary Georgians. They are divided. For instance, several opposition parties refused to take part in Burjanadze’s protest.

There is one final trait that needs to be emphasized: In the course of several visits to Georgia, I have closely observed how nationalistic the Georgian people, the youth in particular, are. As long as there is Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whose sword of Damocles hangs above the head of Mr. Saakashvili, the Georgian people will continue to rally around their president. I mean, who would be particularly happy to see their president “hung by his balls” by a leader of another country, as Putin so colorfully put his intentions during the war of August 2008.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

International law and the Russian “occupation” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, by Richard Berge

2011-06-03T14:07:00.002+03:00

Antigeopolitics -- In the aftermath of the 2008 August war and Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, Georgia has intensified its efforts to convince the world that these territories are being occupied by the Russian Federation. On the 28 of August 2008, just two days ofter the Russian recognition, the Georgian parliament passed a resolution to the effect that Abkhazia and South Ossetia were occupied territories. This was followed later in October the same year when Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili approved the Law on Occupied Territories. Since then, resolutions to the effect that these territories are under Russian occupation have been put forward by several of Georgia’s closest allies, including Lithuania, the NATO parliamentary assembly, and most recently, in a draft resolution by the United States Congress on the 11th of May. However, the question remains how well the Georgian claim of Russian occupation confirms to international law and the actual facts on the ground. A preliminary analysis concludes that it does so poorly.

First off, the Russian presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia does not satisfy the definition of occupation set by the the Geneva Convention of 1907, article 42 which states that: “Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army,” and article 43 which states that: “The authority of the legitimate power having in fact passed into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall take all the measures in his power to restore, and ensure, as far as possible, public order and safety, while respecting, unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force in the country.” In Abkhazia and South Ossetia authority is in fact placed in the hands of the de facto partially recognised authorities of the two breakaway territories, and not in the hands of the Russian military. The breakaway territories themselves have their own parliaments, governments, army, police force and other state institutions which are in charge of governance and the day to day running of their self-proclaimed republics.

The authorities of both breakaway republics also enjoy broad legitimacy and support by the current populations of the respective territories, which overwhelmingly consider Russian troops to be liberators and allies, and not occupiers. Although the legitimacy of these de facto governments is disputed internationally, it is important to note that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are recognised as independent by four UN member states, Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, and that international law does not specify a lower ceiling on the number of states recognising an entity before it can be considered a legitimate member of the international community. Russian troops in both territories do not exhibit the behavior characteristic of an occupying army either.

For example, the Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia do not patrol the streets or set up checkpoints to control the local population, and are mostly confined to their bases. Although limited housing projects for Russian troops and their families near the bases have been constructed, there is no construction of settlements or other forms of colonisation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by ethnic Russians, akin to, for example, Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Russian control of the de facto borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is also not an arbitrary development, but has been negotiated in accordance with bilateral agreements between Moscow and the de facto authorities of the breakaway republics.

The decision of Georgia and some of its allies to recognise the breakaway republics as occupied by Russia is therefore wholly political, and does not have a particularly strong foundation in either international law or the actual facts on the ground. While the Georgian government hopes that its diplomatic effort to have these territories recognised as occupied will increase the pressure on Russia to withdraw its troops from both regions, the effort is mostly cosmetic, and unlikely to meet with much tangible success. The designation by Georgia and its Western allies of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as “occupied” is also designed to reinforce the Georgian narrative of the conflict of being exclusively between Georgia and Russia, and not with the Abkhazians and Ossetians. However, this approach will likely only contribute to the further objectification and alienation from Georgia of the populations of both territories, which will again hamper any real effort to reach a settlement in to these conflicts.

Source: Antigeopolitics

Richard Berge holds a BA in Politics and Georgian language from the School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London, and a MA in Politics, Security and Integration from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at UCL. He has worked for the Norwegian Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2009 and the European Centre for Minority Issues in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2010, focusing on human rights, freedom of information and minority rights in both countries. He is currently looking to publish his MA thesis on the political situation of the Armenian minority in Abkhazia.

One Man’s Magnitude, by Sergey Markedonov

2011-06-03T11:28:00.008+03:00

Whoever Will Be the New Head of Abkhazia, He Will Have Difficulty Coming Out of Bagapsh’s Shadow
Special to Russia Profile - 06/02/2011

On May 29, 2011, the second President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh died in Moscow. It’s impossible to exaggerate his importance as a politician and a man in the modern history of the republic: the beginning of its legitimization will always be connected with his name. Since 2008, Abkhazia's independence has been recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru. Within two days of Bagapsh's death, the pacific island of Vanuatu had joined in. And although it is now impossible to say for sure just what kind of country would join this “gang of five” (if any), Abkhazia now has its ticket into the world.

Representatives of the European Union are now saying that a dialogue needs to be established with the republic, even without officially recognizing it. Several detailed publications have now come out in the United States on this very topic (by Alexander Cooley, Lincoln Mitchell, Cory Welt and Samuel Charap).

In Georgia, Bagapsh is seen as the leader of a separatist institution and a “Russian puppet.” As a result, it is understandable that the death of the Abkhaz president passed virtually unnoticed in the country. The only exception to the rule was the “political retiree” Eduard Shevardnadze, who came across the future leader of Abkhazia in his Komsomol and party work in the Soviet period. At that time, natives of Abkhazia rarely worked in the capital of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. It stands to reason that this experience later turned out to be extremely useful to Bagapsh, because being a party activist in the republic during the “stagnation period” didn’t teach Marxist-Leninist dogmas as much as it gave the ability to find complex solutions and to mediate the divergent interests of different interest groups.

Meanwhile, these leadership qualities would subsequently make Abkhazia’s second president highly sought after in his homeland. In 2004 Abkhazia entered the presidential campaigning season, and by then Bagapsh’s predecessor Vladislav Ardzinba, the charismatic leader of the national movement during perestroika, the fall of the Soviet Union and the war with Georgia, had virtually left his post due to serious illness. With the Kremlin’s support all administrative resources in Abkhazia worked in favor of Raul Khadjimba, Bagapsh’s opponent. However Bagapsh not only managed to win the elections, but also managed to avoid internal political confrontation and to find common ground with Moscow. The 2004 campaign refuted many of the West’s well-established clichés concerning “Russian puppets.” The second president of Abkhazia won against the will of the Kremlin, but he didn’t turn his victory into a nationalist anti-Russian weapon. On the contrary, Russia recognized Abkhazia’s independence namely under Bagapsh’s government, although this decision still spurs arguments and controversy inside Russia itself. However, today it defines that new status-quo in the Greater Caucasus, whether we like it or not.

Sergei Bagapsh closed an old chapter in Abkhazia's history and started a new one. Largely thanks to Bagapsh, the highest office in the republic was peacefully handed over from one person to the next. Bagapsh maintained the political opposition (not even persecuting those who had openly campaigned against him during elections) and the freedom of the press. In 2008, with Russia’s help, he obtained a guarantee of safety and noninterference on behalf of Georgia. At the same time, Bagapsh swept the “Georgian factor” under the rug and began massive “Russianization,” meaning everything from the penetration of Russian business giants (Rosneft) to the appearance of military bases and Russian border guards, from questions of property and the involvement of the Russian Orthodox Church in the religious life of the republic to interpretations of the historical topics of the 19th century. Today Russia’s role, and the price of its friendship to be more specific, is the leading topic of internal discussion in Abkhazia.

After Bagapsh's death, this topic will become one of the central elements in the presidential election campaigns. Meanwhile, passions will flare in the course of the battle for the presidential seat. Abkhazia’s second president left this world without naming a successor, without a political “last will and testament.” Consequently all contenders for the post will be starting from “square one.” The acting Vice President Alexander Ankvab will probably have an administrative and psychological advantage. Like Bagapsh, he also has experience working in Georgia during the Soviet years (in the Ministry of Internal Affairs). He has the reputation of an uncompromising opponent of corruption (there have been several attempts against his life), as a harsh and open person that stands in the way of many. Ankvab could not get along with Ardzinba in the 1990s, so he was forced to spend many years practicing business in Moscow, without becoming just a passive observer. Ankvab’s support during 2004 and 2005 meant a lot to Bagapsh’s ultimate success. Subsequently he worked on Bagapsh’s team as a prime minister and then as his vice president. And that’s why this person will contend for Abkhazia’s second president’s political legacy more than any other.

Sergei Shamba, Abkhazia’s chief diplomat for many years, may also become a strong player in the elections, since he is involved in all meaningful forms of negotiation with Georgia, the Russian Federation, international institutions, and ambassadors in Tbilisi. For the last two years Sahmba, having been named the head of the government, advanced considerably in the field of internal politics. We shouldn’t also discount Raul Khadjimba as a potential contender. Yes, he was defeated in the 2004 to 2005 and the 2009 elections. But let’s not forget that in 2004, he was Vladislav Ardzinba’s successor and had the Kremlin’s support. During the Soviet period Khadjimba served in the KGB, and has established good contacts with the Russian “siloviki.” Theoretically, all this could play in Khadjimba’s favor after Bagapsh’s death.

No matter who we will call the next president of Abkhazia, he will inevitably have to address Bagapsh’s legacy in his work. He’s also doomed to face incessant “comparisons” to his celebrated predecessor.

Sergei Markedonov, Ph.D., is a political analyst and a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Russia and Eurasia Program, Washington, DC.

Source: Russia Profile

Independence means stability – Abkhazian foreign minister

2011-06-02T15:45:00.011+03:00

Independence means stability – Abkhazian foreign minister from Abkhaz World on Vimeo.

RT, 02 June 2011 -- By gaining independence in 2008 and seeking international recognition Abkhazia got more stability, co-operation, investment and real perspectives for the future, shared Abkhazia’s Foreign Minister Maksim Gvinjia.

Remembering the late Abkhazian President Sergey Bagapsh, who has been laid to rest on Thursday, Gvinjia acknowledged that Bagapsh was a smart, tolerant, strategic thinker who created a stable political system in the republic.

Sergey Bagapsh, aged 62, died last weekend in a Moscow medical center after undergoing a surgery on his right lung. The next day his lungs stopped functioning, he was put on an artificial respirator, but later on doctors registered other complications which made it impossible to improve his critical condition.

Thanks to Sergey Bagapsh’s personal efforts, Abkhazia succeeded in setting up relations with countries in Latin America.

“We consider most of the ways to achieve international political for a but there are significant obstacles imposed by Western countries, by the EU and the US,” Maksim Gvinjia told RT, stressing that, particularly in Latin America, the US attempted to put maximum pressure on the local governments not to let to recognize Abkhazia or establish diplomatic relations with the republic, which proclaimed independence from Georgia nearly 20 years ago.

“We are confronted not by actually Georgian diplomacy – we are confronted by the American diplomacy,” he concluded.

Tbilisi may maintain that Abkhazia is a part of Georgia, but “saying that Abkhazia is a part of Georgia is equal to saying that Georgia is still a part of Russia – since Russia inherited obligations of the former Soviet Union.”

The so-called “territorial integrity of Georgia” was recognized in violation of the international law so there is no use in repeating it over and over again, believes Gvinjia.

The 08/08/08 war in South Ossetia only deteriorated Abkhazia further from Georgia, remembers the Abkhazian foreign minister. “We have not received any positive signal from Georgia.”

In reality, Georgia continues to maintain an embargo on Abkhazia and do everything within its powers to prevent the country from conducting international business, and on top of all that provocations and kidnapping of Abkhazians done from the Georgian side of the border continue, so official Tbilisi might say whatever it wants, he maintains.

“The most important thing is that we recognize ourselves,” Maksim Gvinjia said.

Source: RT

Sergei Bagapsh, he came to give freedom… By Nikolai Zlobin

2011-06-02T10:44:00.003+03:00

The second president of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh passed away on May 29, 2011

Sergei Bagapsh was a strong and intelligent political leader. He was composed, courageous, cheerful and sincere, possessing great talent of a true high-level politician and an undeniably charismatic personality. Bagapsh came to power against the will of Moscow, but made it recognize him as a real player and unlike most of politicians of the post-soviet countries he had sincere support of his own people. It’s astonishing that such a small country like Abkhazia had two of such distinguished political leaders as Bagapsh and his predecessor, the first president of Abkhazia – Vladislav Ardzinba.

It is regularly forgotten that the independence of Abkhazia started not with it’s recognition by Russia in August 2008, but as a result of its own effort to achieve independence and the victory in the armed conflict with Georgia 15 year before. And Russian recognition of Abkhazia’s independence was not a charitable gesture, but was aimed at fulfilling the strategy and national interest of Russia in the region and in the international politics altogether. From the beginning I supported that decision and still consider it to be a very strong move by Medvedev. As a result of it, Russia not only gained an ally in the destabilized region, but also a new opportunity to protect and promote its interests in the Caucasus region, whilst Georgia has lost Abkhazia as a result of its own political mistakes and miscalculations.

The work of Sergei Bagapsh and his team made the independence of Abkhazia and the likelihood of it succeeding as a sovereign (and democratic) state much more realistic. It’s hard to forget the wise decision made by Sergei Bagapsh during the conflict in 2008 when he refused to listen to any promises, persuasions or threats coming from different sides. Although the obstacles on the path of independent Abkhazia are still there, a lot of them in fact having appeared only after the fact of recognition by Russia.

The passing of president Bagapsh came as a shock and it is a grim tragedy to the small country. But I know that among his colleagues there are people who can continue his work on building democratic and independent Abkhazia and succeed in acquiring broader international recognition. It is quite clear, that getting this recognition along with developing the national economy would become the main goal of the next president.

In fact the forthcoming presidential election will inevitably become a test of the maturity of Abkhazian establishment and society altogether. It will become a test of effectiveness of the government system that exists in Abkhazia, a system that is actually significantly more democratic than those of Abkhazia’s neighbors. It will become a test of country’s resolution to have a true independence, not an independence paid for by someone from outside. It’s possible that we will witness increased international activity concerning Abkhazia in the next several months as well: Russia, Georgia, Turkey and, of course, the Western countries. The presidential elections in Abkhazia will become a test of Moscow’s respect towards its own decision to recognize Abkhazia’s independence, since Abkhazia is more than capable of electing its own new leader. For Georgia it will be a test of its ability to build proper system of national interests. And for the West it will become a reality check and a test on their ability to recognize the political realities of Caucasus region and to base their decisions on those realities, instead of some abstract ideological concepts. In the recent years this process of international involvement with Abkhazia has slowly started to expand, mostly due to the diplomacy, patience and active work of Sukhum.

The process of development of new political geography that started two decades ago is still taking place in the Post-Soviet World. Sergei Bagapsh contributed greatly to Abkhazia’s role as one of the players and not as a passive hostage of someone else’s decisions and interests in this process. The people of Abkhazia must be grateful to this person and so should be Russia. I believe that a time will come, when the role that Sergei Bagapsh played in the history of Post-Soviet World will be perceived differently even in Georgia. He was a true man of peace and could quote Pericles who had managed to keep Athens out of war for 15 years that he had “never been a cause of any Athenean to wear mourning”. Today not many politicians can say the same.

Nikolai Zlobin

Director of the Russia and Eurasia Project at the World Security Institute in Washington.

UNPO General Secretary Expresses His Condolences on the Death of Sergei Bagapsh, President of Abkhazia

2011-05-30T16:14:00.002+03:00

Brussels, 30 May 2011 – The UNPO has learnt with deep sadness and a great sense of loss, the passing of Sergei Bagapsh, President of Abkhazia, after a long illness on 29 May 2011. As the host of the 2006 UNPO Presidency in Sukhum, President Bagapsh reflected the generosity and hospitality of the Abkhaz people who have been such strong supporters of the UNPO since 1991.

The six years of Mr. Bagapsh’s administration were marked by notable progress in Abkhazia’s campaign for recognition and its democratic development. The notable peace proposals initiated by Sergei Bagapsh in his "Key to the Future" programme, characterised his leadership and Abkhazia’s multi-vector foreign policy and search for sustainable peace.

Today we share the grief of Abkhaz people at this irreparable loss and express our solidarity with them at the moment of national mourning. However, we believe that the admirable path of peaceful striving for self-determination taken by President Bagapsh’s administration creates a solid foundation for successful future prospects of Abkhazia.

Source: UNPO

Karabakh President sends condolences on Abkhaz leader’s death

2011-05-30T16:13:00.003+03:00

STEPANAKERT. - President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan sent a condolence letter to the Vice President of the Republic of Abkhazia Alexandr Ankvab in connection with the death of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh.

The letter runs as follows:

“I have heard with deep sorrow about death of a prominent state and political figure, President of the Republic of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh.

Sergey Bagapsh will remain in the memory of his people, all those who knew him closely as a true patriot of his native land having devoted life to the struggle for freedom and independence of Abkhazia. As a wise and respected leader he made an invaluable contribution to the formation of an independent Abkhazian statehood, securing its safety, development and prosperity of his country. Under his leadership Abkhazia’s independence gained international recognition.

On behalf of the people, the authorities of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic and myself I express my deep condolences to You, the whole Abkhazian people, all the relatives and friends in connection with the irretrievable loss, the death of Sergey Bagapsh,” NKR presidential press service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Georgia fails to properly investigate war crimes

2011-05-25T01:12:00.001+03:00

(Oslo, Tbilisi, Brussels, 23 May 2011) Today the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) publishes a new report on Georgia with the title, Unable or Unwilling? Georgia’s faulty investigation of crimes committed during the Russo-Georgian war of August 2008. Based on interviews with a large sample of witnesses to and victims of alleged crimes, the NHC concludes that Georgian authorities are at least both partly unable and partly unwilling to conduct an effective investigation into crimes falling within the jurisdiction of International Criminal Court (ICC) allegedly committed during and after the August 2008 war.

In a meeting today in The Hague, the report will be presented to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (OTP), as the OTP currently is monitoring domestic investigations of crimes in Georgia (a State Party to the Court) and Russia. The OTP has already decided that crimes allegedly committed during the war fall under its mandate, and the Court can therefore assume jurisdiction and open an investigation if it finds that the parties concerned are “unable or unwilling to carry out the investigation”.

The report is researched together with three prominent Georgian human rights groups (Article 42, Georgian Young Lawyers’ association, and the Human Rights Center – HRC) in the period from October to December 2010. 244 individual applicants to the European Court of Human Rights in cases related to alleged crimes committed during and after the 2008 war were interviewed about what they knew about the investigation. All of the interviewees had lodged applications against Russia with the European Court, and would appear to be key witnesses. Only 26 % of them had been questioned by the police, and 3 % were aware of other investigative steps (such as crime scene and forensic investigation) in their respective cases.

More than two thirds of the investigation interviews reported in the survey were conducted in August/September 2008, and most of these dealt with the hostages from Tskhinvali, a high profile media situation in Georgia at the time of the war. After the initial burst of investigative activity, the investigation seems to have proceeded at snail pace, posing the question of whether adequate resources have been allocated to this demanding and extraordinary task. There are also issues with the transparency of the investigation. Georgian authorities did not answer our requests for information about the status of the general investigation.

Overall, the survey of the ECHR applicants indicates that the Georgian authorities are at least partly unable and partly unwilling to conduct an effective investigation into international crimes allegedly committed during and after the August 2008 war. The Caucasus region has seen a number of armed conflicts over the last 20 years, but little justice. Almost three years have passed since the war, and the question of whether the Court should step up its engagement regarding the Georgia war is becoming pressing.

For more info: (Tbilisi) Ucha Nanuashvili, Director, HRC Georgia, + 99599508036

(Brussels) Simon Papuashvili, Researcher, NHC, +32494753942

(Oslo) Aage Borchgrevink, Researcher, NHC, +4790751150

Source: Human Rights Center, Georgia

The Human Rights Center Calls Upon the Government of Georgia To Apologize to Abkhaz and Ossetian Peoples in the Name of Georgian State

2011-05-21T13:57:00.003+03:00

Human Rights Center, Georgia, May 20, 2011

On May 21, Abkhaz and other Caucasian nations, who became victims of the cruel Russian Imperialist Policy in the 19th Century, the Muhajirs Day. Last year the Human Rights Center celebrated the Day first time in Georgia.

May 21 will be politically hot day in Tbilisi this year too – radical part of the opposition parties plan large-scaled protest demonstrations in front of the Parliament building in the Rustaveli Avenue. The government is inadequately silent and trains army for the May 26 Military Parade at night.

During night rehearsals for the Military Parade, the noise of the military vehicles will again remind the society of the militarist atmosphere about the government. Unfortunately, the militarism has become a chronic disease of the government with its side-effects and deplorable results. Despite the lessons from the recent history, neither president, nor government and the parliamentary majority have introduced any taken any measures to ethno-conflicts in the Georgian territory.

The government intends to celebrate the Muhajirs Day with the resolution. According to the news agencies, the initiator of the resolution is chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Diaspora and Caucasian Issues Nugzar Tsiklauri. He wants to coincide the adoption of the document with May 20 because he said May 21 is a tragic day when Genocide of Cherkessk People occurred in the Caucasus.

The Human Rights Center thinks the parliamentary resolution about acknowledgement the Genocide of Cherkessk People is a next example of the awkward political controversy between Georgian and Russian governments. If the initiator of the resolution – the Parliamentary Committee for Diaspora and Caucasian Issues – had been really concerned about the fate of the Caucasian Nations, they would have first of all thought over the responsibilities of the Georgian state in this direction and waste its precious time on the research of the historical fate, current life and aspiration of Abkhaz Muhajirs. Logically, the problems of several thousands of Abkhaz muhajirs, residing in various countries, should be more important for the committee. Unfortunately, throughout the 20-year-long Georgian-Abkhaz conflict nothing has been done in this direction.

The Human Rights Center reminds the government of Georgia that it is high time for the Georgian state to share the responsibility for ethno-conflicts launched on its own territories; it is high time for the government of Georgia to apologize to Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples in the name of the Georgian state, because:

1. Georgian state has failed several times to prevent both large-scaled and local armed ethno-conflicts on its territory;

2. could not protect Abkhaz and Ossetian citizens from violence; moreover, Georgian military units actively participated in the bloodshed inspired by Russia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia;

3. Instead peacebuilding initiatives and reconciliation policy, the government of Georgia permanently used the unjustified method of conflict escalation, militarism, instillation of hatred and xenophobia.

The Human Rights Center launched “Sorry” Campaign in 2007. The Campaign unites the people, who apologize to Abkhaz people, for not having opposed the violence and for not having prevented the fratricidal war. These people do not apologize in the name of the Georgian state; they acknowledge their own individual responsibility for the results of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict, regardless the fact they participated in the armed conflict or not.

The Human Rights Center believes it is high time for the Georgian State to realize its own responsibility for both historical and current situation; not to take politically motivated and show-off steps but launch reasonable, peacebuilding policy which will lead Georgian, Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples to reconciliation and will again bring them together like it was in our past before ethno-conflicts.

The Human Rights Center

20.05.11

Source: The Human Rights Center, Georgia

"No person will be left in Gagra" Gia Karkarashvili‏ (Telegraph Herald, Oct. 4, 1992)‏

2011-05-11T00:59:00.008+03:00

http://abkhazworld.com/images/stories/awimages/Telegraph_H_4_Oct._1992.jpg

- "...Additionally, the Commander-in-chief of Georgian troops in Abkhazia, General Georgiy Karkarashvili warned in a televised formal address to the Abkhaz and Georgian people in Sukhumi on August 24, that no prisoners of war will be taken by the Georgian troops, that if 100,000 Georgian lose their lives, then [on the Abkhazian side] all 97,000 will be killed; and that the Abkhaz Nation will be left without descendants. The delegation saw a video recording of this ominous speech." (http://www.unpo.org/downloads/AbkGeo1992Report.pdf)

- A similar threat came from the head of Georgia's wartime administration, Giorgi Khaindrava, on the pages of Le Monde Diplomatique in April 1993. Goga (Giorgi) Khaindrava, told the correspondent from Le Monde Diplomatique that "there are only 80,000 Abkhazians, which means that we can easily and completely destroy the genetic stock of their nation by killing 15,000 of their youth. And we are perfectly capable of doing this."

- The Georgian Commander-in-Chief on TV threatens the Abkhazian nation with genocide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzvtaZIMy98

- "In the first place, the Ossetian war [1991-92] in Tskhinvali had just ended. The Georgia National Guard suffered heavy losses. We were exhausted. That’s why I thought it was reckless to go into Abkhazia. But I was told that the 13th-14th August was a good time to launch a military operation because the Russian Parliament was in recess. Unfortunately, we entered Abkhazia in a very disorganized way. We didn’t even have a specific goal and we started looting villages along the way. As a result, in the space of a month we managed to make enemies of the entire local population, especially the Armenians." Gia Karkarashvili - "Absence of Will" Documentary film by Mamuka Kuparadze (11.52 sec.) http://vimeo.com/8826939

Reporter: Did they turn against us just because of the way our troops behaved?

Karkarashvili: "No, not just because of that. But we shouldn’t have allowed all that hatred to build up. We could have prevented it, but we didn’t."

____________

THE INDEPENDENT

Georgia seizes Sukhumi

Wednesday, 19 August 1992

SUKHUMI (AP) - Georgian troops backed by tanks seized control of the Abkhazian capital of Sukhumi yesterday and a military council was appointed to rule the rebellious region.

The Georgian Defence Minister, Tengiz Kitovani, arriving hours later at the Abkhazian parliament building where the Abkhazian flag had been pulled down and replaced by a Georgian one, said the action was taken because Abkhazia had declared its independence from Georgia last month.

'Every Georgian who loves his nation will support this step,' Mr Kitovani said.

Tanks and armoured vehicles rolled into the coastal city in western Georgia earlier yesterday. Georgian troops were reported to have fired upon the headquarters and set the parliament building on fire. A duty officer at the government building said the attack had left several buildings on fire.

Georgian military officials said its troops and Interior Ministry forces were in control of all major objectives in Sukhumi, including the airport. Georgian troops controlled the television tower, the seaport and other key sites.

The Georgian government sent 3,000 troops to the breakaway region of Abkhazia last week to pursue supporters of former Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was ousted in a brief civil war in January. The leaders of Abkhazia denounced Georgia's move as an act of aggression.

At least 50 people were reported killed in four days of fighting between the Georgian troops and Abkhazian police in Sukhumi, a resort on the Black Sea.

Abkhazia's parliament voted in July to restore the 1925 constitution of independent Abkhazia. Ethnic Abkhazians total roughly 90,000 among the area's 500,000 people, but they enjoy the support of other ethnic groups in the Caucasus mountains.

'The restoration of by the Abkhazian parliament on July 27, 1992, of its 1925 constitution is tantamount to a self-annulment of its autonomy,' the State Council said in a memorandum released yesterday.

Mr Kitovani issued an ultimatum on Sunday demanding the resignation of the Abkhazian parliamentary speaker, Vladislav Ardzinba.

The ultimatum said Georgian troops reserved the right to launch combat operations if Ardzinba refused to step down. A group of Georgian Supreme Soviet deputies were reported to have demanded Ardzinba's resignation.

'Whether or not Abkhazia's parliament resigns is the business of the deputies and the Supreme Soviet of the republic,' Georgia's Acting Prime Minister, Tengiz Sigua, said, adding that he had no comment about Mr Kitovani's ultimatum.

Most of the Abkhazian leadership had apparently been evacuated from the city, although the Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Bagapsh, remained in his office on the 12th floor.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/georgia-seizes-sukhumi-1541134.html

"Together against road accidents" social project

2011-04-14T11:15:00.005+03:00

SUKHUM -- The "Together against road accidents" nation-wide social project starts on April 14. The project is carried out by the AQUAFON Company in partnership with the "Imaginarium" creative group with support from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republican drug abuse clinic, the Committee on Youth and Sports of the city of Sukhum, the "Ego-design" company, the "SOMA" radio, the "Riorita" radio and the "Lady Boss" magazine.

The purpose of the "Together against road accidents" project is to make it clear that each of us is responsible for what is happening on the roads of Abkhazia today, and that each of us must contribute to the struggle against this disease of today's life!

The project also aims at "reaching out to everyone driving a car that only the society in which driving even in a state of minimum alcoholic or narcotic intoxication meets with universal condemnation and results in an inevitable administrative liability has a happy future".

"The horrific number of accidents' victims is evidence of the fact that we must struggle against this disease of the society together and in every way possible. We need long-term projects aimed not only at forming the driver's self-consciousness, but also at developing the public mechanism, capable of stopping self-destruction of the nation", the project's authors believe.

"Our sons, brothers, fathers perish on the Psou-Ingur motorway! The average age of the killed on the roads is 25 - 40 years. Each of them made plans for the future and was the future of Abkhazia himself! We lose valuable lives of our small republic. Therefore, every time, getting into the car, remember: your children need an alive father! Your parents need an alive son!", the project's press release reads, in part.

Source: Apsny Press

Related

Road Accidents in Abkhazia are a threat to the National Security - The United Abkhazia

Bagapsh: My thanks to Turkey

2011-04-12T02:28:00.007+03:00

Hasan Kanbolat - Today's Zaman

12 April 2011

Sergei Bagapsh, the leader of Abkhazia, a country that declared its independence from Georgia in 1992, completed his visit to Turkey and return to Sukhumi.

Bagapsh has been in office for six years. Previously he had planned to pay a visit to Turkey on several occasions (Oc. 17-24, 2007 and April 21-25, 2007), but these visits had been canceled at the last moment at the request of Tbilisi. In this regard, Bagapsh’s current visit was considerably important, and if we are to analyze it, we should first note that he does not regard Turkey as a foreign country and treats the political distance between Turkey and Abkhazia as “a matter within the family.” For this reason, Bagapsh particularly refrained from criticizing Turkey’s Georgia policy. He also noted that he pays respect to Turkey’s Abkhazia policy.

Referring to his visit to Turkey, he said: “Our sole purpose with this visit is to thank to Turkey. If we had been officially invited, Turkey would have received many reactions. With its smartly designed policies, Turkey had become a leading country in the region. Turkey is exerting great efforts to maintain peace in the region. I would like to thank to Turkey for its tolerance. Turkey is a serious country and we always respect its actions. We wouldn’t want to cause any harm to Turkey in order to get our desires fulfilled. We appreciate Turkey’s position. First of all, we want Turkey to understand us. Of course, this process will start and continue. We believe that we will make great progress in this respect.”

Bagapsh is determined to establish ties with Turkey through a gradual process. It is clear from his statements that he intends to boost economic relations with Turkey in the first place. Abkhazia is both a secure and stable country. Turkish businessmen may use this country as a base for their trade with the Russian Federation. Tourism, energy, industry and agricultural investments may be made in Abkhazia.

Bagapsh also seeks to reinforce the ties between Turkish citizens of Abkhaz origins and Abkhazia. “The Abkhaz diaspora in Turkey is strong and this visit was made possible through their efforts. I am grateful for the tolerance Turkey affords to us so that we can re-establish the ties among our people. [A total of] 500,000 Abkhazian live in Turkey. We are a small country. We have demographic problems. So, we wish our people in Turkey to return to the homeland. However, this is not easy. Turkey is very advanced in many respects. The Demographic Committee will provide homes and jobs for our sisters and brothers coming from Turkey. Currently, it is vitally important for us to boost our demographic power,” he said.

Touching also on Abkhazia’s relations with Georgia and the Russian Federation, Bagapsh stressed: “Abkhazia has never been part of Georgian territory. We have never attacked Georgia. We are ready for all sorts of negotiations with Georgia, but as two recognized countries. No other sort of negotiations are possible.”

He also commented on the forceful seizure of the Turkish vessels in the Black Sea by Georgia. “Georgia is no different from the Somali pirates. Such an act is wrong. It is not proper,” he said.

Pointing out that Abkhazia is being portrayed as part of or as a region of the Russian Federation, Bagapsh said: “Such a thing is unacceptable. Abkhazia has to maintain its bilateral relations as an independent state.” Abkhazia’s independence is recognized by the Russian Federation, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru. Bagapsh claimed that many more countries will recognize Akbhazia’s independence in the next few months.

Bagapsh politely knocked on Turkey’s door, and it opened, and he became a guest of Turkey, then returned to his home after thanking Turkey. After this, Turkish-Abkhaz relations will improve on a multi-dimensional level without bothering Georgia. These improved relations will result in sea and air transport. Educational, cultural, humanitarian and development aid and increased visits by both countries’ delegations will create new ripples of improving relations. The stability, security and welfare of the eastern Black Sea region depend on the harmony between Turkey, the Russian Federation, Georgia and Abkhazia.

Source: Today's Zaman

Lots of Laughs, Little Freedom On Television, by Paul Rimple

2011-04-06T11:41:00.003+03:00

Few things rattle Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili more than criticism about Georgia’s media freedom.

At the 2010 Milken Institute Global Conference, the Georgian president said: “Everything is said in Georgia, there are no taboos. There are no libel, defamation laws.”

Nobody understands this better than Rustavi 2, the country’s most-watched television station. Co-owned by Davit Bezhuashvili, brother of the chief of intelligence, the station functions as a state propaganda tool and has perfected the technique of “creative subjectivity.”

Because the Georgian media are not permitted into Abkhazia, they must rely on eyewitness accounts from ambiguous sources. In other cases, they create the news with the complacency of the government.

Several months prior to the 2008 war, Tbilisi claimed that the Abkhaz attacked two busloads of voters in the border village of Kurcha, which Norwegian Helsinki Committee investigators deemed a poorly staged provocation. Somehow, a Rustavi 2 crew happened to be in the insignificant border village to film the entire sequence with one camera positioned with its back to the line of fire.

Imedi TV’s fake broadcast in March 2010 of a Russian invasion is a case in point. It scored few unscrupulous points in Georgia because this is what is largely expected from the news.

Tbilisi has been working on media damage control by slowly pushing a transparency law though parliament that would ban ownership of broadcasters by offshore-registered firms. Media experts are pressing for provisions like easing access to public information, a long-time obstacle for journalists.

While the bill has been applauded as a step forward, the media situation in Georgia is still a farce. Nobody knows who really makes the decisions about what stories are covered or not. In its media freedom index, Freedom House ranks Georgia “partly free,” next to Nepal.

It’s hard to take Georgia’s media freedom seriously when the government trumpets its democratic development while all the main media outlets are influenced by government, politics and economic control. It’s like saying that having an independent media would be a threat to your freedom.

Paul Rimple is a journalist in Tbilisi.

Source: The Moscow Times

NB.

Documentary Gives Alternative Version of Polling Day Shooting
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 24 Jun.'08 / 19:21

An investigative documentary produced by the Reporter studio has claimed that a shootout and rocket attack on two buses in the Abkhaz conflict zone on election day, May 21, was pre-arranged and has indicated that it was staged by the Georgian side.

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18611

*****

The Georgian president accused of manipulation
The article below was published in Le Figaro in French.

Le président géorgien accusé de manipulation, Le Figaro, May 26
The explosion of two buses in front of cameras raises questions.

http://circassianworld.blogspot.com/2008/05/georgian-president-accused-of.html

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

2011-03-25T11:33:00.001+02:00

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

2011-03-25T01:24:00.009+02:00

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

2011-03-24T10:23:00.001+02:00

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

President received Turkey's Abkhaz Diaspora representatives

2010-12-22T10:21:00.009+02:00

December 21, SUKHUM -- Today President Sergey Bagapsh has received representatives of the Turkey’s Abkhaz Diaspora engaged in construction business in the cities of Adapazari, Izmir and Duzce - Aluk Tsugba, Emir Zhiba, Ezgur Argun and Chaataya Khvatysh.

Businessmen, representing the leading construction companies from Turkey, expressed readiness to support their historical Motherland in the sphere of construction. “We have all possibilities both financial and technical for this”, Aluk Tsugba said at the meeting with the President.

Representatives of construction firms presented to the President a booklet with the properties they have built in Turkey.

Welcoming the guests, Sergey Bagapsh said a state cannot develop without economy. “Our country’s independence was recognized two years and a half ago. And now we need serious work of both the citizens of Abkhazia living here, and the Abkhaz, being beyond the bounds of their Motherland”, the President said.

The President emphasized that the Russian Federation renders much aid and support to Abkhazia. “Russia renders free aid of RUB 11 bln. to Abkhazia. On these funds we restore roads, we build kindergartens, we repair schools, hospitals, we put the water and power supply systems in order. In the first place we need to restore this infrastructure to begin construction work”, the President said.

The head of state briefed on the planned large-scale work on rehabilitating the railway and the airport, building a road connecting Abkhazia and Karachay-Cherkessia, supplying Abkhazia with gas. According to Bagapsh, there’s also much to do in agriculture. He suggested that businessmen should decide, what specific areas they would like to work in. “If there is a wish to build a factory, a plant, to be engaged in agriculture –no problem”, Bagapsh said.

Speaking about the Turkish-Abkhaz relations, Sergey Bagapsh said he understands the position of Turkey, which is a NATO power. “And, nevertheless, Turkey is our nearest neighbor, some day mutual relations between our countries will be established anyway”, the President said.

A MP Taali Khvatysh, who accompanied the delegation, said he had returned to his Motherland 10 years before and he was not sorry about it. “I believe that every Abkhaz wherever he is, should think of how to return here and to help restore the country’s economy”, he said.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Powder, Beach and Chachliks

2010-12-19T17:02:00.005+02:00

Powder, Beach and Chachliks from Jean-Marc Wyss on Vimeo.

Another great place on earth to ride! At the south of the Caucasus range, between Russia and Georgia, is Abkhazia. Small republic since 2008, this new country hope to get a place in the world, free from his powerful neighbours. Overpowdered white mountains are facing the Black Sea, the palms trees are shaked by strong winds while the snow is covering the summits. A group of swiss and french skiers&snowboarders went to explore this unknown region, discovering early March unbelievable snow conditions, so far from every expectations. If you wish more details about this trip, go to espace-heliski.com. We will be pleased to give you all informations you need, and organize you next ski trip.

Rip Curl Abkhazia - Day 14
Abkhazia the movie wins Special Public Award - Rip Curl Abkhazia
Abkhazia Travel

Sergey Bagapsh received EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semnebi

2010-12-15T13:06:00.004+02:00

December 14, SUKHUM -- Today the President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh has received the EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semnebi. A frank exchange of view took place on the situation in the process of negotiations, first of all, in the format of Geneva discussions. The President of Abkhazia said the atmosphere around the Georgian-Abkhaz settlement in the light of reaction of the European political circles and the US Senate to the Georgia’s President Saakashvili’s declarations, forces Abkhazia to essentially modify its position.

This applies to possible cooperation of the Abkhaz party with the European structures not only in the political, but also in the humanitarian sphere. According to the President, the attempt to divide cooperation for a political and humanitarian aspect does not lead to positive results. “We can see politically poorly-thought out and committed actions of European structures supporting Georgia, despite the tragical events which the Georgian party is responsible for”, Sergey Bagapsh said.

The President of Abkhazia reaffirmed to the EU Mission his position in relation to the so-called "peace initiatives of Tbilisi”. The experience of relations with Georgia proves the contrary to the Abkhaz party. That’s why Sukhum cannot trust any Saakashvili's declarations until Abkhazia receives clear acknowledgement of Georgia’s readiness to sign an Agreement on the non-renewal of hostilities with international guarantees. An official letter with the Abkhazia’s position on this matter has been already sent to the UN Secretary General, Sergey Bagapsh said.

The head of state also notified the delegation on the intention to start creating full-fledged border infrastructure on the river Ingur in the near future.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

WikiLeaks: 'Left with Russia, Abkhaz Looking for Daylight'

2010-12-14T18:06:00.003+02:00

Civil Georgia, December 12, 2010 -- A senior U.S. diplomat was told by his counterparts from EU last year to press Georgia to work with Abkhazians, as "they are looking for some daylight with the Russians", according to leaked U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks.

The confidential memo from the U.S. embassy in Stockholm records a July 9, 2009 meeting between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon and five EU foreign policy diplomats.

According to the cable, Helga Schmid, who at the time was head of policy planning unit at the General Secretariat of EU Council, told Gordon "to press Georgia to work with the Abkhaz."

"The Abkhaz have been rebuffed in their overtures to the Georgians, and are left with no option but to seek Russia’s support," Schmid told Gordon, according to the cable.

Schmid is now deputy secretary generals of EU's new diplomatic service - European External Action Service (EEAS).

According to the cable, during the same meeting another European diplomat from EU's external relations commission, Karel Kovanda, told Gordon about the need to reach out to the Abkhazians.

"They are looking for some daylight with the Russians, and we should help," the European diplomat is cited in the cable.

In December, 2009 EU elaborated engagement and non-recognition policy towards Georgia's two breakaway regions, which aims at creating space for interacting with these regions, but without thier recognition.

In September, 2009 the Georgian government announced about the plan to develop a strategy for engagement with the two regions, which eventually resulted in adoption of the State Strategy on Occupied Territories in January, 2010 and its Action Plan six months later.

According to the same cable Gordon told EU diplomats, that Georgia was "a good example" of the U.S. not compromising its principles in the name of better relations with Russia.

"The Russians are testing the Obama Administration to see if it will compromise; it will not," Gordon said, according to the cable.

Source: Civil Georgia

Geopolitics For Dummies: What Does The Collapse Of The Soviet Union Really Mean? By Eugene Ivanov

2010-12-13T21:10:00.002+02:00

The Ivanov Report, December 13, 2010 -- Regardless of how one would characterize the collapse of the Soviet Union -- as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century" or just its "major geopolitical disaster" -- everyone appears to agree that it was one of the 20th century's most fateful geopolitical events. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin once called it a "genuine drama" for the Russian nation. In contrast, many in the West celebrated the disappearance of the Soviet Union as a Cold War trophy and a sign of the "end of history."

While the fact that the Soviet Union has "collapsed" is not in dispute, little attention is being paid to what the Soviet Union, the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), actually was. The only thing everyone seems to remember is that the USSR was composed of 15 so-called Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR). So when the USSR was "collapsing", the "collapse" was supposed to proceed precisely along the borders separating the SSRs, resulting in the creation of 15 newly independent states. Can it get any simpler than that?

Not so fast. In 1991, the Soviet Union was a true administrative monster that held together as many as 173 different territorial entities: 15 above-mentioned SSRs, 20 Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (ASSRs, parts of SSRs), 8 autonomous regions, 114 regions, 6 territories ("край"), and 10 autonomous districts.

Countless changes to this administrative puzzle have occurred in almost 70 years (1922-1991) that the Soviet Union was in existence: new districts, regions and republics emerged and then disappeared with the speed of images on a slide show; borders between entities were drawn and redrawn, and then redrawn again, by a restless hand of a mysterious artist; shuffling smaller "republics" between bigger ones was taking place almost as often as shuffling cards in professional poker. Just a few examples. In 1936, the Kazakh and Kyrgyz ASSRs ceased being parts of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), the largest SSR in the USSR, and were "upgraded" to the Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSRs, while the Karakalpak ASSR was transferred from the RSFSR to the Uzbek SSR. In the 1950's, a swath of RSFSR territories bordering the Kazakh SSR went under the Kazakh SSR's jurisdiction. In 1954, the Ukraine SSR got a gift from the RSFSR: Crimea (the Crimea region of the RSFSR).

Think about that for a moment. Crimea has been an intrinsic part of Russia for almost 200 years, with the Russian Empire spending blood and treasure, during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, to keep the peninsula within its borders. And then, a Communist apparatchik, Nikita Khrushchev, following the best traditions of the Soviet Union's arbitrariness, just transferred Crimea from Russia proper to Ukraine. (The reason for Khrushchev's decision -- to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia -- sounds especially absurd today.) Is it not incumbent upon anyone who wants to put away the legacy of the Soviet Union to condemn this act of supreme state stupidity (the term "state treason" would perhaps be more appropriate) and to demand that Crimea be returned to where it truly belongs: in Russia?

Granted, the borders of some Soviet Socialist Republics -- the three Baltic SSRs (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) come to mind first -- did reflect historically established demarcations between stable and mature nations. But others did not. Instead, they were created by the malicious mind of the world's most creative nation builder, Josef Stalin. Take the Georgian SSR. This product of Stalin's imaginative cartography included the Abkhaz ASSR and South Ossetia autonomous region, both placed under Georgian rule in contradiction to historic and common sense and despite protestations by both the Abkhaz and Ossetian people. So when in 1991, Georgia declared its independence from the Soviet Union, both Abkhazia and South Ossetia rightfully demanded their independence from Georgia. They won it, after an armed rebellion, in 1992-1993. But the Western governments have refused to accept their de facto independence. Western strategists apparently believed that in this part of the Soviet Union, its "collapse" should be partial, so that Georgia's independence from the USSR was legitimate, despite the fact that Georgia joined the USSR voluntarily, but the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia was not, despite the fact that both entities were made part of Georgia by Stalin's order.

Our Secretary of State ought to consider this the next time she articulates U.S. policy in the region. The Madam Secretary should remember that by vowing to uphold Georgia's "territorial integrity", she is attempting to preserve the legacy of the Soviet Union (and fulfill the dreams of its bloody dictator).

(The Soviet Union is hardly the only place where creative geopolitical cartography was applied. The West applauded the "collapse" of Yugoslavia, a mini-"evil empire" for many. But for the NATO strategists, the "collapse" was not complete enough, so NATO took away, by brutal force, Kosovo from Serbia. But when Serbs in Western Kosovo wanted to join their compatriots in Serbia to stop the ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Kosovars, the West cried foul and vowed to uphold the "territorial integrity" of the narcomafia heaven that contemporary Kosovo is.)

It will take time to heal all the wounds -- political, economic, social, cultural, and physological -- the precipitious and disorderly disintegration of the Soviet Union has caused to Russia and its people. It will also take time to fully understand what the Soviet Union was and was not in the history of the Russian state. The burden of this work lies on the shoulders of the Russians themselves. But we in the West can help, too. First, by accepting that today's Russia is not a Soviet Union and will never be one. Second, by realizing that the "collapse" of the Soviet Union is still going on, and we can't just end its history by whim.

Source: The Ivanov Report

Meeting of Maxim Gunjia with deputies of the Parliament of Dominican Republic

2010-12-10T23:47:00.001+02:00

SUKHUM -- On December 9, 2010 Maxim Gunjia the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia met with deputies of the Parliament of Dominican Republic Ramon Fernandez and Francisco Matos.

A number of issues linked with perspectives of cooperation of both countries in different spheres were discussed. The deputies expressed their impressions during their visit in Abkhazia and marked beauty and hidden potential of the Republic. They underlined, that two countries had a lot of common and that circle of eventual cooperation is very wide in the future.

Maxim Gundjia told to the guests about the history of Abkhazia, national liberation movement and present socio-economic situation in the region. The Minister emphasized that countries of the Latin America are very like by spirit and Abkhazia will develop very close and friendly relations.

The deputies thanked the Minister for invitation and in response invited the Abkhazian delegation to visit the Dominican Republic for regulation of inter-Parliamentary relationship.

Source: MFA Abkhazia

Is Everything Good for the U.S. Good for Georgia, and Vice Versa? By Justin Logan

2010-12-09T16:59:00.008+02:00

The National Interest, December 8, 2010

One of the tropes of the Washington foreign-policy commentariat that I, and I imagine other realists, find most vexing is the tendency to assume that All Good Things Go Together. What is good for Washington is also good, by definition, for all of Washington’s allies, for the spread of freedom, economic growth, and democracy throughout the world, and for a variety of other purposes.

Invading Iraq, we were told, was not just smart for our national-security interests, but it would also be good for Iraqis because it would replace Saddam Hussein with a liberal democracy. This, in turn, would be good for the region because of the salutary effect such an example would have for other people living under other despotic regimes there, which would then have positive effects for the world at large, because, as we all are supposed to understand, the spread of democracy is by definition coextensive with the spread of peace.

Of course, it has not worked out that way. But one sees the same sort of thinking on display almost daily in Washington’s foreign policy debates.

Take, for example, the discussion in this article by Josh Rogin about the WikiLeaked documents involving Georgia, Russia, and the “reset” of U.S.-Russia relations. The central point of the article is this statement by U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle in June 2009:

A decision to move towards a more robust military relationship with Georgia will imperil our efforts to re-start relations with Russia. Our assessment is that if we say “yes” to a significant military relationship with Tbilisi, Russia will say “no” to any medium-term diminution in tensions, and feel less constrained absent reverting to more active opposition to critical U.S. strategic interests.

Beyrle acknowledges that the Georgian government likely would prefer to be sold arms from the United States, but argues that such a preference is actually in opposition to Georgia’s true interests, because arms sales would make Georgia less safe from Russia, not more:

From our vantage point, a burgeoning military supply relationship with Georgia is more of a liability for Georgia than a benefit. We recognize that our suggested approach would be deeply dissatisfying to Saakashvili, but we see ... no way to neutralize the advantages of geography, size, and capabilities enjoyed by Russia.

The implicit idea here is that Saakashvili is reckless and that arms sales would raise the likelihood of reckless behavior on his part, which would be bad for him, bad for Georgia, and bad for us. In the same article, Samuel Charap, associate director for the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center of for American Progress, agrees and expands on the logic, making two separate (or separable) points:

Instead of the argument of whether we can fulfill this desire of the Georgian government, we have to step back and say “what is the U.S. interest here?” There's no such thing as a military balance or a military deterrent in this case.

And then, more broadly:

The reset protects Georgia because Russia now has a whole lot more to lose. Before, nobody in Moscow was going to think “what will they think in Washington?” because they didn't care. Now they care.

The first point is a breath of fresh air: The question is not whether we can do what a client state wants us to do, but what we should want to do. Amen. But on the second point, if a client state wants us to do something that we’ve decided isn’t in our best interests, then maybe we have conflicting interests and should reassess the relationship, right?

No. Instead we assert that the client state is misperceiving its interests and instead will benefit from our unapologetically pursuing our own interests.

U.S. policymakers in the Obama administration appear to have decided—correctly, in my view—that the marginal benefits to us of somewhat warmer relations with Russia outweigh the potential benefits of policies designed to bring Georgia under the American security umbrella. That is the sort of calculation that they ought to be making, and there is no need to apologize for thinking in those terms.

But neither is there any need to gussy up our perception of our interests as being somehow identical to Georgia’s interests. Were I a Georgian foreign policy adviser, I would be pushing as hard as I could for the U.S. to sell arms, send military advisers, and beef up its diplomatic presence, as well as for NATO to grant a Membership Action Plan for ultimate accession to the Alliance, and every other benefit I could get.

In my view, that’s what the Georgians should be doing, whereas Washington should be opposing all of those policies. We have different interests. In a better world, instead of arguing that America’s interests are the world’s interests, we would simply acknowledge that our interests are not always in the interests of others whom we may wish well. We have every right to our interests, and they have every right to theirs. But the two are not necessarily coextensive.

Source: The National Interest

The Ghosts of Abkhazia, by Thomas de Waal

2010-12-08T16:18:00.004+02:00

The National Interest, December 7, 2010 -- I slept badly in the Hotel Ritsa in Abkhazia. I had an unsettling dream in which I walked through an old house with an elderly Stalin, muttering malevolently to himself. In the morning, wondering who had disturbed my sleep, I had a long list of suspects from the other world.

Many of Abkhazia’s numerous ghosts must live within the walls of this whitewashed hotel. A convalescent Trotsky lived here in 1924 and gave a valedictory speech for Lenin from the first-floor balcony on the day of his old comrade’s funeral. Or I could have slept in the room of another of Stalin’s victims, the poet Osip Mandelstam. In 1993 the hotel produced more ghosts when it was burned to the ground in Abkhaz-Georgian fighting. It has only recently been rebuilt.

Pretty much everything about the past, present and future of Abkhazia is disputed. That includes the name of its capital city which the Georgians and most of the world still calls by the Georgian name Sukhumi and the Abkhaz call Sukhum. This is a city of absences. In the mid-nineteenth century, Abkhaz were deported to the Ottoman Empire for rebelling against the Imperial Russian Army. From 1877 to 1907 those who remained were banned from living in the city or along the Black Sea coast. Georgians, Greeks and Russians settled in their stead, shifting the demographic balance against the indigenous Abkhaz. In 1949 the Greeks were expelled en masse to Kazakhstan in one of the crazy Stalinist deportations. In 1992 most of the Abkhaz fled the city when the Georgian armed forces captured it, and the following year almost all the Georgians fled when the Abkhaz recaptured it. Seventeen years on, despite an influx of Russian money and a new crop of cafes and shops and reopening hotels, the streets of Sukhum(i) are still disfigured with ruins.

So anyone who talks about the history of Abkhazia should tread carefully. But that didn’t deter Russian parliamentarian Konstantin Zatulin from striding in here in boots and spurs. Zatulin, the mustachioed first deputy chairman of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Committee in the State Duma, looks and sounds like a czarist officer and subtlety is not his strong point. He is one of those who actively promoted Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and hailed the August 2008 war as a victory over the West. But he failed to notice the small detail that Abkhaz are pro-Russian much more by necessity than by natural enthusiasm. And when he criticized the textbook written by Abkhaz historian Stanislav Lakoba being taught in local schools, he hit a nerve.

Zatulin publicly castigated Lakoba for his textbook and insisted that Abkhaz had entered into “voluntary union” with the Russian empire in 1810 and always lived in harmony with Russians. After months of criticism, Lakoba responded with a magisterial article entitled “Zatulinism” in which he declared of the Russian parliamentarian, “Abkhazia can be congratulated. She now has a political censor.” In his article Lakoba firmly states that Russia is now Abkhazia’s main ally and should remain so, but he fires a warning shot against those Russians who, in his judgment, are repeating the Georgians’ error of assuming that the Abkhaz want to be part of their project and not have a project of their own: “Someone thought the Abkhaz people were too free and evidently decided to weaken and curb them, by depriving them of the main thing they have, their history.”

It is a mistake to criticize Lakoba here, because he bears the totemic name of his relative Nestor Lakoba, the popular Bolshevik leader who won Abkhazia a high level of autonomy and spared it from collectivization, before being poisoned by Stalin’s chief henchman, Lavrenty Beria. Nothing so dramatic will happen with the younger Lakoba, but drinking coffee with him in front of the Hotel Ritsa, I found a man who worries about what the Russians want from his homeland.

For most ordinary residents of Abkhazia this is a small matter. Disagreements with Russia over history textbooks or property rights are secondary to the opportunities that Russia gives them to receive pensions or passports. For them, put bluntly, Russia is the power which defeated Georgia and will stop the Georgians coming back. As the de facto prime minister, Sergei Shamba, put it to me, “We fought a war with Russia one hundred fifty years ago, we fought a war with Georgia eighteen years ago and Russia helped us in that war. That’s where the difference is.”

But the Lakoba-Zatulin row does remind us that you can’t usefully talk about the future of Abkhazia without recalling the ghosts of its past, distant as well as more recent.

Thomas de Waal is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Source: The National Interest

World's deepest cave - Krubera-Voronya Cave

2010-12-04T12:46:00.006+02:00

Located in the politically ambiguous Republic of Abkhazia, the Voronya Cave (Crows’ Cave, in Russian) plunges 7,188 feet (2,191 m) into the depths of the Arabika Massif, a limestone formation dating back to the Age of Dinosaurs. Also known as the Krubera cave (after Russian geographer Alexander Kruber), the cave was discovered in 1960 and has surpassed Austria’s Lamprechtsofen as the world’s deepest cave and the only known cave deeper than 2,000 meters (6,561.5 ft). [9 More Most Extreme Places on the Planet]

President Sergey Bagapsh received the Abkhaz karatekas

2010-12-02T13:58:00.003+02:00

SUKHUM, November 30 -- President Sergey Bagapsh received the Abkhaz karatekas - Dzhustan Tachulia, Tariel Chezhia, Alan Palavandzia, Akhra Enik who have won the Shotokan Karate World Championship in Mexico City and their coach, the president of the Karate Federation of Abkhazia Akhra Abukhba.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the State Committee on Youth and to Sports Raphael Ampar.

The head of state on behalf of the republic's leadership congratulated young athletes on their brilliant victory. “It is delightful that our athletes make us happy participating in prestigious international competitions”, the President said.

Sergey Bagapsh gave the credit for this victory to the State Committee on Youth and Sports, the coaches, adding that, certainly, that victory is a result of the talented young men's firmness of purpose.

The President emphasized that our athletes' victory is of big political importance. “Now and then our athletes do more to popularize our country than politicians do. We are proud of the fact that you have won such a significant tournament under our flag”, the President stressed. The head of state promised to support athletes.

The president of the Karate Federation of Abkhazia Akhra Abukhba told to the head of state about the tournament and about the Abkhaz karatekas' performance.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Abkhazia does not believe Saakashvili pledges not to use force: FM

2010-11-25T01:00:00.005+02:00

SUKHUM, November 24 (Itar-Tass) - The statement of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in the European Parliament that Georgia will not use force in the settlement of conflicts in the South Caucasus “is not a signal for the start of a peaceful dialogue for Abkhazia,” Abkhazian Foreign Minister Maxim Gvindzhiya commented on Wednesday.

The foreign minister said he did not react to “Saakashvili’s statements with enthusiasm, as Georgia has never demonstrated positive intentions towards Abkhazia in the past 18 years”.

“We have seen nothing from Georgia but wars and provocations. That is why we treat Saakashvili’s statement with caution. Let us check his words through concrete moves,” the foreign minister told reporters here.

Addressing a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Saakashvili said Georgia “is interested in beginning serious negotiations with the Russian leadership,” and besides “it comes out with a unilateral initiative to never use force for the restoration of its territorial integrity”.

“Tbilisi is ready to a comprehensive dialogue with Russian partners,” he noted.

Russia will trust the promises of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to stay away from the use of force when they are placed on paper and take legal effect, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday in a comment on Saakashvili's speech in the European parliament.

"If one puts aside the political gewgawry and the collection of nice-looking literary quotations, the speech produces a really dual impression," the commentary said. "On the one hand, one would really like to believe that the claims on renunciation of the use of force reflect recognition of the truths that Russia and other members of the international community have been trying to drive home to the Georgian leadership for many long years, namely, that the methods based on the application of force and military resolution of problems are inadmissible and criminal in today's world."

"Still the manner, in which this ostensibly 'unilateral solemn pledge' is presented, cannot but put one on alert," the Foreign Ministry said. "Saakashvili goes on with his attempts to convince the international community of the existence of a conflict of some kind between Russia and Georgia, while the genuine case in hand is the many-years-long conflict between the Georgian government and the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which ended in a final independent self-determination of the two countries after Georgia's aggressive military adventure in August 2008," the commentary said.

"Russia continues believing that the only way to peace and security in Southern Caucasus lies through a legal affirmation of the commitment to the non-use of force between Tbilisi and South Ossetia, as well as Tbilisi and Abkhazia," the ministry said.

Source: Itar-Tass

In Sukhum, do not trust verbal commitments Saakashvili

Dieter Boden: stiff resistance came from the Georgians

2010-11-21T22:13:00.004+02:00

Olesya Vartanian / Ekho Kavkaza, November 19, 2010

TBILISI --- Dieter Boden, Former Head of OSCE and UN missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, presented his view of current policy towards the disputed regions in Tbilisi. Boden also spoke of the lost opportunity to resolve the Georgian conflict.

Nine years ago, in December 2001, Dieter Boden, delivered an initiative in his position as UN special envoy that was revolutionary at the time. Now few people remember the proposal’s long title; almost everyone simply calls it "the Boden Plan.”

This document defines a new constitution, in which Abkhazia was defined as a "sovereign entity" within the "federal state" of Georgia.

Last night Boden, speaking at the "European House" in Tbilisi, said for the first time that he already had the consent of Sukhum long before his official presentation of the "plan.” The Kremlin then gave its approval. Sergei Lavrov, Mediator from Moscow at that time, spoke afterwards.

"At that time, strong resistance came not from the Abkhazians, but from the Georgians. It came from the faction of the parliament that represented the interests of the Abkhazian government in exile. They were categorically against the use of the term "sovereign” to describe Abkhazia.

As Boden says, when the Abkhazians learned of the feud in Tbilisi, they decided to "seize the moment” and back out.

This, in turn, influenced the decision of the issue with South Ossetia. Up to that time a similar "Boden Plan" had been on the table of officials in Tskhinval. But when they saw the difficulties the Abkhazians faced, talk about the possible accession to "a federal Georgia” ended for the Ossetians.

Despite the failure of "Boden Plan,” in analysts’ circles it has been said that never before or since has Sukhum and Tbilisi been so close to concluding a lasting peace.

During his speech yesterday, Boden said that in the short term his document is not going to have practical applications."The realities have changed" - he replied to the question whether he has the desire to mediate between the parties.

For the last few years Boden has been teaching in his native Germany. But analysts say that his influence on current processes concerning the Georgian conflict continues. He occasionally meets with leading players in the Caucasus and abroad.

Speaking yesterday before foreign diplomats, Georgian politicians and public figures, Boden criticized several fundamental points in Tbilisi's policy towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

In the first place, he said, even if we imagine that the occupation ends tomorrow, Abkhazia and South Ossetia do not want to become integral parts of Georgia so quickly. "It is an illusion" – Boden said, proposing that Georgia and the international community work in complementary fashion to resolve the conflicts between the Georgians and the Abkhazians and Ossetians.

In this process, according to Bodin, it is first necessary to "work on our mistakes." He offered to give a "political assessment" of the fighting that occurred in the 1990s and during the August war.

"I can tell you that we in Germany had such an experience. Our history consists of periods of resumption of peaceful coexistence with our neighbors, including with those who suffered from Nazi Germany. "

But, Boden said, in contrast to private citizens, politicians in Sukhum and Tbilisi are not yet ready to overcome "their own dramatization of events."

Boden welcomed the approaches outlined in Georgia's strategy for the disputed regions.

"But I have only one concern regarding this strategy. In order for confidence-building measures to begin to work, it is necessary that independent action be taken by independent entities. And I do not advocate any government policies when the state begins to monitor what is happening in the private sector. "

Regarding Russia’s influence, Boden said that "it’s not going anywhere." And in resolving the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Tbilisi still has to reckon with Moscow’s opinion. "The leaders have remained silent so far, but eventually this will change" – Boden said.

Source: Ekho Kavkaza (Дитер Боден: жесткое сопротивление шло от грузин)

Maxim Gundjia addressed a letter to OSCE and MFA of Lithuania

2010-11-12T22:28:00.007+02:00

Maxim Gundjia addressed a letter to OSCE and MFA of Lithuania concerning upcoming OSCE summit in Astana, Kazakhstan

OSCE SECRETARY GENERAL
AMBASSADOR MARC PERRIN DE BRICHAMBAUT

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE
MR. KANAT SAUDABAYEV

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF
THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
MR. AUDRONIUS AŽUBALIS

Your Excellencies,

OSCE is one of the organizations, which presence in the Caucasus was a significant deterrent to the escalation of the conflict, but all the efforts of the International Community and in particular Russia towards political resolution of the Georgian-South Ossetian and the Georgian-Abkhazian conflicts have been whittled by unilateral and aggressive actions of Georgia in August 2008. As a result, new political realities had emerged in the Caucasus and Abkhazia and South Ossetia became recognized and sovereign states.

During period of OSCE’ presence in the Caucasus it has gained considerable experience and knowledge of chronology and history of the conflicts in the region. However, Georgia which is denying its guiltiness for the outbreaks of numerous wars, undertakes new provocative actions and continues to develop new aggressive plans against Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

One of these manifestations is initiated by Georgia international campaign for the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Russian-occupied territories.

In accordance with accepted international norms and conventions, the question of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied territories is illegal and unfounded.

According to The Hague Convention of 1907, Geneva Conventions of 1949 and certain provisions of Additional Protocol to Geneva Conventions of 1977, occupied territories are such territories, "occupied by enemy forces, leading sustained and concerted military operations" or "creating their own administration". Territory is considered as occupied when it "indeed is under the authority of hostile army."

It must be emphasized that democratically elected, legitimate government structures of the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia that have nothing to do with "administration of hostile army" enjoy full authority throughout the territory of Abkhazia.

It should be noted that Russian troops are located on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia in accordance with the international agreements signed between Abkhazia and Russia. Moreover, the presence of Russian troops is welcomed and fully supported by the entire population of Abkhazia. Given situation is caused by the fact that these forces are the guarantors of non-resumption of hostilities from the side of Georgia, which is still preparing plans for another military invasion of Abkhazia.

Based on the aforementioned, the call of the Georgian side to international community to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as an occupied territories is simply an attempt to portray Georgia as a victim and to distort the facts and consequences of long-term confrontation between Georgia and Abkhazia.

We also believe it is necessary to note that many of the OSCE declarations on the so-called "ethnic cleansing" of Georgians in Abkhazia, reflect superficial and prejudiced attitude towards the problem of Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. This position completely ignores the results of investigation of the UN Experts Committee in October 1993, pursuant to which massacres of Abkhaz and Russian-speaking population on the territory of Abkhazia by the Georgian State Council troops were recognized.

We note that during this period the UN Mission conducted this work with participation of the OSCE. "The United Nations attempted to revive the peace process through diplomatic means, in consultation with Summit on Security and Cooperation in Europe (SSCE) [now renamed into Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)], in order to ensure effective coordination of activities."

Despite this, the OSCE repeatedly reflected biased pro-Georgian position, laying all the responsibility on the Abkhaz side. Such a biased, one-sided position of the OSCE, as reflected in the Budapest, Lisbon and Istanbul declarations, only encourages Georgia to irresponsible aggressive policy in the region.

As one of the Co-chairs of Geneva discussions, the OSCE is obliged to conduct equidistant constructive policy aimed at stabilizing the situation in the region. Lack of such policy could cause reasonable doubts from the Abkhazian side concerning neutrality of the OSCE, as the Co-chair of the Geneva discussions.

Reaffirming our commitment to constructive and peaceful dialogue, we deem it necessary to provide an opportunity for representatives of the Abkhazian side to visit the OSCE Headquarters for meetings with leaders of the organization, and to address the states-participants in the format of post-soviet space, as well as to be present during discussion of matters related to the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict held within the OSCE. This condition will enable the OSCE to make objective and balanced decisions that will contribute to resolution of conflicts and contradictions in the Caucasus.

MAXIM GUNDJIA

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Sukhum 12/11/2010

Source: MFA Abkhazia

Secret prisons in Georgia - system of intimidation for the residents of Abkhazia

2010-11-04T14:49:00.004+02:00

The disappearance without a trace of the Abkhazian citizen Harry Jopua in the mid of October made the Abkhazian authorities to drawattention of international organizations to the policy of the Georgian side in the region. All negotiations between Sukhum and Tbilisi in fact are ceased due to the August events in Caucasus. However, international mediators are trying to reanimate in every possible way the locked process of peaceful settlement. The Abkhazian politicians fairly noticed that without taking into consideration the up-dated reality it will be impossible to achieve complete and full-scale settlement of the existing disagreements. But the major problem is that by words Georgia does not reject the political dialogue but in fact, is continuing to use coercive pressure on the Abkhazian side.

One of the examples of using such political methods are terrorist attacks that are constantly carried out by the Georgian special services. It is in this context that the cases of abduction of the Abkhazian citizens should be viewed. As an example we can take the incident of 2007 can when David Sigua, ethnic Georgian, who was an active supporter of the idea of independent Abkhazia was kidnapped from his own home by the “unknown” persons. There is no doubt that it is the life position of Sigua that caused his disappearance. We deliberately put the word “unknown” in quotes since the Abkhazian law-enforcement agencies do know for sure that the abduction of Sigua was organized by the Georgian special services. It should be noted, that they are regularly sent from the neighbor territories to carry out such and other subversive terrorist attacks.

Abkhazian side has been trying to free its citizen by using all known ways of either official diplomacy or the peoples’ one for three years already. Sukhum has many times officially addressed the top international authorities requesting to get involved in locating David Sigua’s position. But his destiny is still unknown. In response to urgent requests to return Sigua the Georgian side gives a hackneyed answer that they have no information about Sigua, and the international representatives in Georgia in a confidential manner confirm the words of the Georgian authorities.. As a result, there is a deadlock which will be difficult to overcome since the Western protectors are not interested in further staining the flyblown reputation of Saakashvili.

A few days ago, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spread a sensational message, notably regarding the letter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Maksim Gundjia to the Executive Secretary of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture Trevor Stevens The reason for the Abkhazian politician’s appeal is another crime against humanity. This time the victim of the Georgian special services became Garry Djopua. He was kidnapped on the 9th of October in the border region of Gal. Mr. Gunjia requests Mr. Stevens to facilitate the objective investigation on finding the whereabouts of the Abkhazian citizen. It is not a coincidence that that Mr. Gunjia addressed this particular person. An objective investigation can be conducted upon the will of the European statesman. In Georgia there are offices many international organizations. On the border itself there are the EU monitors. But they will unlikely participate in investigating the cases of complete disappearance of the Abkhazian citizens three years or a month ago. This is not only the case of their unconditional support of Georgian authorities.

In the above mentioned letter the Abkhazian Minister assumes that the Abkhazian residents are probably detained in the Georgian secret prisons. In the light of the scant information on the results of the last round of Geneva discussions the news regarding the secret prisons came like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. It did not come as a bombshell, however. While the message was ignored by most of mass media, a number of facts mentioned make us believe there can be a high possibility of the existence of secret prisons in Georgia. Although there is no absolute proof, all of the above mentioned shows that the hypothesis of the MFA of Abkhazia can be true.

It is well known that Georgia is the only country at the Post-Soviet space which blindly follows the political directions of the Western patrons and especially the US. This transatlantic country was once involved in the political scandal several years ago when the information regarding the secret prisons in Eastern Europe leaked into the press. That time Washington tried but it did not manage to put a good face on the situation. The whole media buzz around the European prisons where captives from Iraq and Afghanistan were brought to and then tortured played a nasty trick on the then President George Bush. According to many political scholars this information regarding the inhuman treatment of the detainees shocked the American electorate. As a result, they voted for Barak Obama, not for McCain, who was supported by Bush.

The information regarding the secret prisons in Georgia can cause indignation among ordinary Georgians and probably will as they know exactly how the current regime is struggling with the political opposition. Using its punitive institutions Tbilisi authorities deal shortly with everybody who thinks differently. Many experts admit that Georgia has the biggest number of political detainees in the world. The existence of the secret casemates is beneficial for the Georgian authorities not only because of their solidarity with the Americans who got stuck in Afghanistan. It is also an effective way for them to get rid of the ardent critics.

The reason for secret prison is obvious: it is a place to hide forever the people that are disliked by the current regime. David Sigua did not suit Tbilisi authorities. He actively supported the official Sukhum Government, he was popular among the residents of Gal region, and people listened to him. In this case, isn’t it better to get him into such prison which is not mentioned in the Ministry of Justice list and is difficult to find in the out-of-the-way mountainous locations. According to the unverified sources, the secret casemates can be in the suburb areas of Tbilisi and Rustavi. And they are not solely Georgian prisons. There is a possibility that the secret prisons of CIA are located in this territory. Taking into consideration the participation of Georgia in the international anti terrorist operations in Afghanistan it can be assumed that talibs after the capture are transferred to Georgia for further detention.

Therefore , Georgia was accused of creating a system of secret prisons. Right now Abkhazia does not have enough evidence, but it has assumptions. Two Abkhazian citizens have already disappeared in the Georgian prisons. Who is the next victim of the Georgian special services? It will be truly sad, if the abductions continue.

“On the 26th of October, the day of the publication another Abkhazian citizen Parpaliya Nugzar (born in 1945) who works as a foreman at the Rep village was kidnapped. This incident happened on the Georgian side of the border at the village of Hercha. Parpaliya N. was captured by Georgian special services when he was returning to Abkhazia from the territory of Georgia. The 65-year old man was accused of the drug trafficking but it is known that the evidence was fake.”

Lev Sonnikov

Source: IA REGNUM (Russian)

- Gürcistan’ın gizli cezaevleri (Turkish)

George Hewitt: Abkhazia has the potential to be a successful state

2010-10-24T14:19:00.002+03:00

Win.ru, October 19, 2010 - If Georgians/Georgian politicians really believe the rhetoric of their statements on the ’occupied territories’, they are living in a fantasy world. If they don’t believe it, then they are engaging in utterly cynical attempts to deceive their Western supporters. Either way, they are doomed to fail, just as everything else they’ve attempted since 1989 with regard to either Abkhazia or S. Ossetia had led to failure. They are their own worst enemies, but they refuse to recognize this or any other aspect of reality on the ground.

Today we represent on our site an interview with Professor George Hewitt. He is a professor of Caucasian languages at the School of Oriental and African Studies, a fellow of the British Academy and the honorary consul for Abkhazia to the UK. He has lived on and off in Abkhazia for over 30 years and publishes regularly on the history, languages and politics of the Caucasus.

— As it can bee seen from Your writings You are skeptical about Georgia’s attempts to "reintegrate" Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia. What can You say about current activities of Georgia in this direction? And about the way it would be more proper for Georgia to act? Do You believe that Russia really does threaten Georgia’s independence and sovereignty?

— If Georgians/Georgian politicians really believe the rhetoric of their statements on the ’occupied territories’, they are living in a fantasy world. If they don’t believe it, then they are engaging in utterly cynical attempts to deceive their Western supporters. Either way, they are doomed to fail, just as everything else they’ve attempted since 1989 with regard to either Abkhazia or S. Ossetia had led to failure. They are their own worst enemies, but they refuse to recognize this or any other aspect of reality on the ground. There is only one way to lead to the restoration of normal life in the region and that is to recognize their loss of Abkhazia and S. Ossetia and to get on with the business of building good-neighbourly ties — the same applies to Azerbaijan with reference to N-Karabagh. And as for "Russian threat" to Georgia’s independence and sovereignty — no, not in the way that Georgians claim and many believe. No doubt Moscow wants to preserve some influence in the region and to avoid having Georgia become a member of NATO, but would one have expected anything different from America, if the roles were reversed?

— How would You describe the current situation with Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia in general? Which ways may it develop further?

— The situation in the two republics is somewhat different. Abkhazia does not want to become a satellite of, or annexed by Russia, but is being given no chance to develop in the way it wants because of the West’s dogged support for Tbilisi. Abkhazia has the potential to be a successful state, its economy based on tourism. S. Ossetia is not so beneficially placed. Most people would suppose that union with N. Ossetia is the obvious solution, but it seems that such a solution is not necessarily the first choice of S. Ossetians themselves. Whether S. Ossetia can fully exist as an independent state with its land-locked situation, small population and relative lack of experience at self-government is a difficult question to answer.

— What can You say about the current situation in the Caucasus region at whole? Has it some specific features?

— The Caucasus is one of the most varied regions on earth in terms of linguistic and ethnic diversity. When one adds in religious differences, one might well conclude that the Caucasus does have its own specific features. When the USSR disintegrated, there was a hope that this heralded a ’new world order’, but ’order’ is not a word that easily comes to mind when talking about the post-Soviet Caucasus. The problems are legion and have not been helped (in the Northern Caucasus) by the Kremlin’s failed policies towards Chechenia, which have only served to provide a foothold to militant Islam, which has become such a danger in so many states around the world today. How one accommodates the aspirations of so many peoples is a question that probably requires the wisdom of Solomon to answer. Leaderships in the states concerned need to understand that dialogue at all levels should be encouraged and corruption at ALL levels in society rooted out. The native peoples of the Caucasus developed ways of living together (or at least as neighbours) over the centuries (millennia, even), and one can only hope that in the fast-changing conditions of the modern world, they will be given the chance to rediscover those ways, free from conflict and wars.

— What is Your opinion about the changes taking place in the Black Sea region? What role may play the issue of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia?

— It’s not clear how what relevance South Ossetia has for developments in the Black Sea region, given its land-locked position. One looks forward to a time when the cooperation being developed between the various states which border the Black Sea will be offered to Abkhazia. As long as there are attempts by Georgia and Georgia’s supporters to isolate Abkhazia and to hinder shipping between Sukhum and Trebizond (Trabzon), there will be potential for misunderstanding and actual conflict. Russia has its Black Sea fleet, and NATO has vessels there too, and one recalls the days in the wake of the fighting in August 2008 when it briefly looked as though the Russian and US NATO vessels might find themselves in dangerous proximity. Just as a number of states (Abkhazia, Georgia, Armenia and Russia) would benefit from a full reopening of the rail-line through Abkhazia, so the Black Sea border-states will benefit from the relaxation of tension that would result from recognizing Abkhazian independence and the establishment of normal good-neighbourly relations between Abkhazia and Georgia. Recognition is inevitable, and so the sooner it comes, the better for all.

Interviewed by Marat Kunaev

Source: Win.ru

Cultural Genocide by Georgia, supported by American Embassy in South Korea continues.

2010-10-21T10:51:00.000+03:00

Comment of the MFA of Abkhazia

On the 23rd of September at the 65th Session of the United States General Assembly in New York Michael Saakashvili addressed to People of Abkhazia: “ I want to tell them once again: we will protect your rights, your culture, your history-we will work with you, we will work for you”.

At the same time, the official website of the Georgian government is translated into Abkhazian language, so, from now on the information about government activity will be available for Abkhazians too. Thus, Georgian side is expressing loyalty towards Abkhazia which is actually just a Public Relation act.

We are outraged by the Georgian representatives’ attempts to block the participation of the State Folk Dance Ensemble of the Republic of Abkhazia "Sharatyn” at the “Chonan Huntarion”, International folklore festival-contest in South Korea. Moreover, this action was supported by the American Embassy in South Korea.

As it became known the US Embassy representatives have been trying to break off further Abkhazian concerts in South Korea on Georgian request.

In fact, the real direction of today’s Georgian authorities hasn’t changed at all and is similar to the Stalin’s strategy when Abkhazian people survived through assimilation and mass destruction in the cultural sphere as well. Georgian direction is still pointing at the political, economic and cultural isolation of Abkhazia and its citizens. Such actions of Georgian side and its American partners can be only considered as the cultural genocide of People of Abkhazia and prove once again absolute impossibility of the co-existence of Abkhazians and Georgians in a single country as it is offered by the Western allies of Georgia.

Sukhum 20/10/2010

Source: MFA Abkhazia

On the eve of the Victory Day the President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh addressed compatriots

2010-10-01T11:52:00.000+03:00

SUKHUM, September 30 -- On the eve of the Victory Day the President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh addressed compatriots, soldiers, defenders of the Fatherland, veterans, parents of heroes of the war of liberation!

His address reads:

“Our nation marks the 17th anniversary of the victory over the enemy that occupied the country, put cities and villages, innocent people to fire and annihilation.

In that extremely dangerous for the fate of Abkhazia time a true patriot Vladislav Ardzinba headed the national-liberation movement and managed to bring the idea of freedom and survival of the Abkhaz far beyond the bounds of the Motherland. Thousands and thousands of volunteers who came to the aid of Abkhazia were inspired by this idea. This idea became clear and dear to many politicians, scientists, common citizens all over the world. All through the years of ordeals they have been rendering moral and humanitarian aid to us.

Faced with the threat of holocaust the nation united in a single fist, young and old, men and women rose to defend their Fatherland from the barbarians.

With dignity the nation went through the hard years of restoration of the state in the situation of tough isolation, blockade, and political pressure. Those who were sure they could break us, make us give up our chief goal, were mistaken.

We held out. And today we continue to move confidently to the future. Even if with difficulties, not at the pace we would like to, but together we will overcome this path. The experience of military unity should help us in no less difficult peaceful life.

Every year obelisks, memorials in memory of our soldiers, our children are unveiled in Abkhazia.

They can be erected endlessly, they are dependant on time, but they are necessary for future generations for the descendants to understand, what for and for whose sake their ancestors fought and won this unequal war. And the most important thing is that memory of a heart will survive centuries.

Today the country bows down to the fallen, celebrates the heroes who have survived in terrible battles. They continue a great deed that was started by the people and will be advanced by our children.

This is a hard fate of the Abkhaz. Joy and tears have always come hand in hand in our life before. Let it never ever repeat again.

Our country is worthy of a bright fate, and it is sure to revive. No matter how hard it were, we are obliged to avoid all dangers on the path of the development of the Abkhaz state.

I believe- so it will be.

I congratulate you on this great holiday, compatriots!”

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Maxim Gunjia met with UNHCR delegation

2010-09-29T14:52:00.001+03:00

SUKHUM, September 29 -- On September 29, 2010 Maxim Gunjia received the UNHCR delegation led by Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Janet Lim.

At the beginning of the meeting Janet Lim thanked the Minister for the meeting and outlined the purpose of her visit, which is to monitor projects implemented by UNHCR. The Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees stressed the importance of close cooperation with the authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Maxim Gunjia, in turn, noted the high level of understanding that exists between the UNHCR and the government. The Minister spoke about the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Government of Armenia and international organizations, which promotes more effective cooperation between the parties. With regard to projects implemented by UNHCR, the Minister stressed that the people involved in these projects should be given opportunity to develop their business and earn money. Noting the particular importance of agricultural projects for our republic, Maxim Gunjia spoke about the existing successful projects, and prospects for the industry.

Janet Lim and Maxim Gunjia concurred on the need for continued dialogue within the framework of the Geneva talks and the five-party Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM).

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees thanked the Minister for constructive discussion and assured that his comments and suggestions will be considered in future work of UNHCR in the region.

Source: MFA Abkhazia

MPs elected hero of Abkhazia Sergey Matosyan as vice-speaker of parliament

2010-09-28T10:38:00.004+03:00

SUKHUM, September 27 -- MPs elected Sergey Matosyan as vice-speaker of the People's Assembly.

The vice-speaker was elected by secrete vote. 22 out of 24 deputies voted in favour of Sergey Matosyan.

Sergey Matosyan was born in 1952. A Colonel. A Hero of Abkhazia. He commanded 3 battalions during the 1992-1993 Patriotic War of the Abkhaz Nation.

In 1994 he participated in the Lat operation in the Kodor valley where he headed Marshal I. Bagramyan battalion. Then he headed the Border Guard Detachment of the RA State Security Council.

From 1996 to 2000 he was a People's Assembly – the Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia deputy, from 2000 to 2005 he worked as HR Department Chief in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2007 he was again elected People's Assembly deputy.

Working With Iron And Fire - A Blacksmith's Life: Vladimir Khutaba

2010-09-21T16:10:00.012+03:00

Somewhere in Abkhazia there live and work two talented blacksmiths - a father and a son, Vladimir and Daur Khutaba. They proved another time that blacksmiths are interesting and even mysterious people.

Vladimir Khutaba has been standing at an anvil since 1954. Now he is 77 and most of the work is done by his son Daur. They showed us how they make a thing that will remain in the family for the long years and will be considered to be sacred - a chain that will be used to hang a kettle on over a hearth.

Source: Etsy's Handmade Blog

Abkhazia for new mechanisms and formats for refugees return

2010-09-15T00:27:00.003+03:00

SUKHUM, September 14 (Itar-Tass) -- The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry is interested in a wise and balanced solution of the problem of refugees and displaced persons’ return, says the address of the republic’s Foreign Ministry issued on Tuesday in connection with the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on refugees.

The Foreign Ministry regards the resolution as “distorting reality” and “doing nothing to promote progress in solving problems of refugees.” “Taking into account the new realities, the Abkhazian side believes it is necessary to create new mechanisms and adopt new formats for the procedure of refugees return to the independent state, the Republic of Abkhazia,” says the address.

The Foreign Ministry notes that “the Republic of Abkhazia, the victim of Georgia’s aggression, is interested more than others in the establishment of durable and stable peace in the region.” The ministry recalls that “it was precisely Georgia that violated more than once all the agreements on non-use of force” and “continues groundlessly to refuse from signing the document on non-resumption of military operations, which bespeaks of its aggressive intentions.

“The Georgian authorities also refuse from preliminary coordination of conditions for refugees’ return and registration,” says the address.

“Although the problem of refugees is the subject of the talks in the framework of the Geneva debates, the Georgian leadership tries to keep Abkhazia out of the discussion of the matter,” the document says. “As a result Abkhazia has not been invited a single time to the consultations and not participated in the discussion even at the preliminary stages,” says the address.

The Foreign Ministry says “it is impossible for all refugees to return to Abkhazia, as many of them are war criminals who participated in the genocide of the Abkhazian people during the Georgian-Abkhazian war of 1992-1993.” Therefore the Abkhazian side insists on “the establishment of a real number of people who wish, are ready and, the main thing, have the right to return to Abkhazia, since persons who are war criminals are excluded from international protection granted to refugees.”

The Abkhazian side “calls on representatives of UN member countries to promote the adoption of a balanced decision and enable Abkhazia’s representatives to declare their substantiated viewpoint on the problem,” says the address.

Source: Itar-Tass

Abkhazia might agree to UN Observers deployment in its territory

2010-09-05T00:01:00.003+03:00

SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- The Abkhaz authorities intend to propose a new draft agreement on the non-use of force at the next round of Geneva discussions, the President's envoy to the international discussions in Geneva Vyacheslav Chirikba declared Tuesday. He said that “in all there are four drafts - Russian, Abkhaz, South Ossetian and Georgian”. The Abkhaz variant of the agreement, as he said, “consists of two basic statutes - declaration on the non-use of force, and guarantees of maintaining a peacful situation in the region”.

Chirikba does not rule out that “as one of the elements of the agreement observance mechanism the issue of deploying observers on either side of the border between Abkhazia and Georgia could be considered”.

“Those will be not peacekeeping forces. Those might be observer posts- those of the United Nations on our side, the European Union ones - on the Georgian side that would watch the situation and report, if there was any escalation of tension. At least, they should have a ground and they could have the possibility to report on these violations”, Chirikba said.

“All the details are still in the process of discussion, and the Abkhaz party is ready to consider alternative variants”, he declared.

Sukhum is not against “a small UN Mission” in the territory of Abkhazia that would mediate between Sukhum and Tbilisi, as well as have contacts with the Russian side. These functions performance by European observers is considered impossible by Sukhum, as the European Union took a hard line regarding the recognition of Abkhazia's independence.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Viacheslav Chirikba: ''Information in the press that Abkhazia is ready to deploy a new UN mission or UN observers is far from the current political reality''

“Foreign Policy of the Republic of Abkhazia: Results and Prospects'' Round Table Held in Sukhum

2010-08-25T11:21:00.002+03:00

SUKHUM, August 24 -- “Foreign policy of the Republic of Abkhazia : results and prospects” is the subject of the “round table” organized by the foreign policy department of the Presidential Administration for the second anniversary of the recognition by Russia of Abkhazia's independence. Leading experts and politicians who had taken part in forming the foreign policy of Abkhazia, discussed the results of country's development from the point of view of its international situation and prospect of Abkhazia in the system of international relations.

“The recognition of independence of Abkhazia by Russia is a historical event which our nation has gone towards for many long years. The recognition of Abkhazia as a subject of international law appeared to be a very difficult process. The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev have said time and again, this decision has presented a problem for him, however, having recognized the independence of Abkhazia, Russia doesn't intend to renounce its decision and to reverse it to please somebody”, President Sergey Bagapsh said, opening the discussion. According to the head of state, “the recognition entails more obligations, rather than privileges”.

“The situation that has developed in the country and around it in connection with the recognition of independence, called for amending the domestic and foreign policy. The activity aimed at achieving the recognition of Abkhazia by other countries took on special significance”, Bagapsh said. “The last two years became the years of strengthening international positions of the Republic of Abkhazia”.

The President stressed the importance of further development of mutually beneficial cooperation between Abkhazia and Russia, being strategic partners and allies.

He also pointed to the increasing interest to Abkhazia in the world.

The President's foreign policy adviser Vyacheslav Chirikba, Prime Minister Sergey Shamba, the Ambassador of Russia to Abkhazia Semyon Grigoriev, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Maxim Gvindzhia, the director of the Center for Strategic Researches to the President Oleg Damenia, a Public Chamber member Natella Aqaba, an employee for the Center for Humanitarian Programs Liana Kvarchelia, an AGU associate professor, a candidate of Political Studies Irakly Hintba spoke about various aspects of the country's foreign policy.

The “round table” was also attended by Said Tarkil, Socrat Dzhindzholia, Leonid Lakerbaya, Konstantin Ozgan and Sergey Shamba, who have held office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the republic. The hononary consul of Abkhazia to the Great Britain George Hewitt, Official Representatives of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Abkhazia to Germany and Turkey - Hibla Amichba and Vladimir Avidzba also participated in the discussion.

One of the participants, an Abkhaz State University associate professor, the head of the international relations chair Raul Khonelia offered the former heads of the foreign policy department of Abkhazia to write memoirs about their work.

“Your memoirs will be interesting to our young people. They want to know more about glorious, and at the same time dramatic pages of the history of the country”, he said.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

A century ago - A general view of Sukhum, Abkhazia

2010-08-24T15:32:00.003+03:00

Russia in color, a century ago - A general view of Sukhum, Abkhazia and its bay, seen sometime around 1910 from Cherniavskii Mountain. (Prokudin-Gorskii Collection)

PDF Ebooks on Abkhazia in Russian

2010-08-20T00:04:00.004+03:00

- Iz Istorii Srednevekovoy Abkhazii (VI - XVII. Veka.)
Z. V. Anchabadze, Sukhum, 1959 [10.2 MB]

- Istoriya i Kultura Drevney Abkhazii
Z. V. Anchabadze, Moscow, 1964 [7.31 MB]

- Ocherki Istori Abkhazii 1910 - 1921
G. A. Dzidzariya, Tbilisi, 1963 [15 MB]

- Dekabriysti v Abkhazii
G. A. Dzidzariya, Sukhum, 1970 [2.44 MB]

- F.F. Tornaou I Ego Kavkazskie Materiali XIX Veka
G. A. Dzidzariya, 1976 [4.23 MB]

*****

- История Абхазии с древнейших времен до наших дней

О. Х. Бгажба, С. З. Лакоба, 2007

- Борьба за советскую власть в Абхазии. Сборник документов и материалов 1917 – 1921

Абгосиздат. 1957

- Абхазия: документы свидетельствуют. 1937-1953

Сухум, "Алашара", 1992

- Абхазский архив. XX век

Выпуск 1. / Сост. С.З. Лакоба, Ю.Д. Анчабадзе. М., 2002

- Материалы по этнографии Абхазии

Чурсин Г.Ф, Сухуми. 1957

- Абхазский дневник. XX век.

Тарнава Людмила - Выпуск I. Дневник пенсионерки, оставшейся в оккупированном Сухуме 14 августа 1992 года. Абхазский институт гуманитарных исследований им. Д.И. Гулиа Академии наук Абхазии. Сухум. 2008

- Дорога, ведущая к храму, обстреливается ежедневно.

Бройдо А.И.

- Сборник материалов по истории Абхазии

Кудрявцев К.Д., Сухум. 2008.

Medvedev: Abkhazia, S.Ossetia recognition ‘not a goal in itself’

2010-08-03T23:55:00.002+03:00

August 3, (Kyiv Post) -- Russia would like other countries to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, President Dmitry Medvedev said.

"We are interested in their recognition. But this is not a goal in itself. No such task has ever been set," Medvedev told journalists in Sochi.

On Minsk's position on this issue, Medvedev said that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had earlier declared plans to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the presence of leaders of some countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. "I solemnly declare, said Lukashenko, that I will do this very shortly," Medvedev said

Source: Kyiv Post

Russia interested in int'l recognition of Abkhazia, South Ossetia - Itar-Tass

''Hibla Gerzmava Invites...'' Classic Music Festival Opened in Sukhum

2010-07-29T13:21:00.006+03:00

July 28, SUKHUM -- “Hibla Gerzmava invites …” classic music festival opened on July 27 in Sukhum.

Every summer a world-famous Abkhaz opera singer, a National Actress of Abkhazia, an Honored Actress of the Russian Federation Hibla Gerzmava holds a festival, invites her eminent colleagues to the republic. This year the orchestra of the P. I. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory conducted by the art director and conductor Felix Korobov has been invited to the festival.

On the first day of the festival young singers Alkhas and Ekaterina Ferzba, Astamur Kvitsinia, Nana Cherkezia, Kristinp Eshba, Astanda Bagatelia, Sofia Narmania and others appeared together with Hibla Gerzmava on stage of R. Gumba Abkhaz State Philharmonic Society.

A well-known expert in literature, music expert and a TV host, a National Actor of Russia, an Honored Art Worker of Russia, Svyatoslav Belza who hosted the concert, said that he “understood Hibla’s message who have invited young singers to the festival”. “It is just the right time to open an Opera Theatre in Sukhum when so talented young people are growing up”, he said.

“Hibla Gerzmava invites …” classic music festival will last till July 31.

On the same day, July 27, Abkhaz classic music devotees had a chance to attend a concert in Pitsunda.

A National Actress of Abkhazia, an Honored Actress of the Russian Federation Alisa Gitsba and “Helicon opera” soloists performed in the Pitsunda temple. A graduate of the Gnesin Academy of Music, a winner of international contests Luka Gadelia (organ) and a winner of international contests Dmitry Zakharchenko (oboe) accompanied the soloists.

On July 29 “Helicon opera” artists will perform their "Viva, opera!" in Sukhum, in the Abkhaz State Philharmonic Society.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

The English version of Abkhazia.Travel has been launched!

2010-07-26T12:20:00.001+03:00

Welcome to Abkhazia, the land of soul!

http://abkhazia.travel/en/ -- The official tourism website of the Republic of Abkhazia, produced by the State Committee for Resorts and Tourism, is the only official and current resource that provides comprehensive information about Abkhazia's resorts and tourist attractions.

The website includes practical information for tourists, contact details for official agencies, and maps and descriptions of popular tourist destinations and routes, including routes for adventure travel.

The historical section contains extensive information on the history of the region, the emergence of Christianity, the formation and development of the Abkhaz state, and the republic today.

Feature stories discuss Abkhazia's top attractions and events in detail. Audio and video materials supplement your own experience and knowledge about the country.

Each section has unique photographs, prepared especially for the website. You will see a bird's-eye view of Abkhazia, visit the mountains, the rivers and the sea, and see places unlike anywhere else in the world.

All information provided has been produced specifically for the website, based only on proven facts and current data.

All sections of the site will be regularly updated and expanded.

http://Abkhazia.Travel/en/

Chávez to support Abkhazia’s, South Ossetia’s independence

2010-07-24T16:26:00.002+03:00

Aysor, July 24 -- President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez promised to support recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in South America, President declared in Caracas, when summing up the results of the meeting with Abkhazian and South Ossetian leaders Sergey Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoyty, as reported by RBK.

“I am sure that together with Abkhazia and South Ossetia we will be able to build strong relations with Latin American countries – Paraguay, Uruguay, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina,” President said.

Note that Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s independence was recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru.

Source: Aysor

Presidents of Abkhazia, S. Ossetia Announced ''Guests of Honor'' of Venezuela's Capital

2010-07-24T00:41:00.007+03:00

July 23 -- Presidents of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh and South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity, who are in Venezuela on a visit on the invitation of its leader Hugo Chavez, are announced "Guests of Honor" of this country’s capital. According to the information from Caracas, today authorities of the Venezuelan capital presented respective diplomas to the leaders of the Transcaucasian republics.

Kokoity and Bagapsh also received symbolic keys to Caracas from the alcalde of the capital’s municipium Libertador Jorge Rodriguez.

The President of Abkhazia’s Official Representative told Apsnypress that at 11:00am Venezuelan time the President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh and the Abkhaz delegation laid a wreath to the monument to Simon Bolivar.

The head of Abkhazia was accompanied by the Foreign Minister of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and the mayor of Caracas Jorge Rodriguez.

At 12:00pm the official delegation of Abkhazia held a meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and draft documents that will be signed today in Caracas, Christian Bzhania said.

If yes to Kosovo, why not Karabakh, Abkhazia and S. Ossetia

2010-07-22T18:31:00.005+03:00

Court Says Kosovo Independence Legal, Expect More States

by Armen Hareyan

The International Court of Justice just read that the independence of Kosovo did not violate the international law. Many states are eying Serbia's lawsuit because this ruling opens door to more independnet states such as Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan as well as Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia from the Republic of Georgia.

The court rejected Serbia's claim on Thrusday that Kosovo violated the international law on territorial integrity when it unilaterally declared its independence. The court's opinion was different. The president of the International Court of Justice Hisashi Owada said international law contains no "prohibition on declarations of independence."

This is the first time that on such a high level the people's right of self-determination takes precedence over another UN charter: the territorial integrity. The opposite ruling by the International Court of Justice would not change much about Kosovo's status and would rather propose to make a settlement with Serbia. The resolution is non-binding. However, this resolution is more important for other break-away regions such as Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia and Ossetia than Kosovo.

For example consider the case of Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in a two-decade long dispute about people's right of self determination in Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia stands for the region's right to express its will in a referendum, which is also marked by the Madrid Principles set forward by the Minsk group. Azerbaijan says it will violate its territorial integrity as clearly the Armenian majority of Nagorno Karabakh will vote for independence. Thus, Armenia and Azerbaijan so far had two different opinions about which principle takes precedence, people's right of self determination or the territorial integrity of states.

Today's ruling on Kosovo clearly says that independence of a region from a state can be legal and that Kosovo's right of self-determination takes precedence over Serbia's claim of territorial integrity.

If yes to Kosovo, why not Karabakh, Abkhazia and S. Ossetia

The leaders in Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia have been referencing Kosovo to make their case for independence. Now the leadership of Gerogia and Azerbaijan will have a very difficult time to explain the international community why should these people not have the right to choose their own future.

Hopefully this ruling will instead speed up the process of conflict resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Georgia and its own break-away regions. Hopefully today's ruling makes the peace agreement in the Southern Caucasus one step closer with the leaders of the region looking at the matter in more realistic way.

Source: HULIQ

Kosovo or Abkhazia: Contrasts and Comparisons (Comparative analysis between Kosovo and Abkhazia)

Kosovo's independence is legal, UN court rules

2010-07-22T18:15:00.003+03:00

Decision in favour of Kosovo's independence could have far-reaching implications for other separatist movements

Peter Beaumont, guardian.co.uk -- Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in February 2008 did not violate international law, the international court of justice (ICJ) said today in a groundbreaking ruling that could have far-reaching implications for separatist movements around the world, as well as for Belgrade's stalled EU membership talks.

The long-awaited ruling - which the court took up after a complaint to the UN from Serbia - is now likely to lead to more countries recognising Kosovo's independence and move Pristina closer to entry into the UN. At present, Kosovo's statehood is backed by 69 countries but it requires more than 100 before it can join the UN.

Announcing the decision, the court of justice president, Hisashi Owada, said international law contains no "prohibition on declarations of independence".

Although both Belgrade and Pristina had said they were confident of a ruling in their favour, speculation began to emerge a few hours before today's announcement in the Hague that the decision - which is not legally binding - had gone Kosovo's way.

Prior to the judgment, the US vice-president, Joe Biden, had made it clear that the US would not contemplate a retreat from Kosovo's newly independent status.

Key considerations that the UN's top court examined - arising out of dozens of submissions by UN member states as well as by Kosovo's own leadership - have focused on issues of sovereignty, the slim volume of precedent in international law, and how formerly large states such as the USSR broke up along administrative borders.

Serbia has continued to demand Kosovo be returned, arguing it has been the cradle of their civilisation and national identity since 1389, when a Christian army led by Serbian prince Lazar lost an epic battle to invading Ottoman forces.

The ruling is expected to have profound ramifications on the wider international stage, bolstering demands for recognition by territories as diverse as Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria.

The ICJ's ruling is not, however, expected to have an immediate impact on the situation on the ground in Kosovo, where a small area with a Serb majority has itself split away around the north of the town of Mitrovica, which has about 100,000 residents. That deadlock has sometimes erupted into violence, despite intense international efforts, with Serbs and Kosovans running their own areas.

Kosovo sparked sharp debate worldwide when it seceded from Serbia in 2008, following the bloody 1998-99 war and almost a decade of international administration. The 1998-99 war, triggered by a brutal crackdown by Serb forces against Kosovo's separatist ethnic Albanians, left about 10,000 ethnic Albanians dead before ending after a 78-day Nato bombing campaign. Hundreds of Serbs were also killed in retaliatory attacks.

Today's ruling will reinforce Kosovo's resistance to any kind of renegotiation - particularly over the status of the Serb majority areas in the north.

Kosovo's foreign minister, Skender Hyseni, said before the ruling that reopening negotiations was "inconceivable".

Speaking yesterday, the Serbian foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic, had warned that even in the event of a ruling against it, Belgrade would not be ready to give up its claim on Kosovo.

"Serbia will not change its position regarding Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and necessity of a compromise," he said. "Our fight for such a solution will probably be long and difficult, but we will not give up."

Jeremic, who was in The Hague for the ruling, had said earlier that he expected the decision to vindicate Serbia, which would lead to new negotiations on both sides.

A US state department legal adviser, Harold Koh, said: "Serbia seeks an opinion by this court that would turn back time ... [and] undermine the progress and stability that Kosovo's declaration has brought to the region."Leading the other side of the argument is Serbia's traditional ally Russia, which has fought against its own separatist movement in Chechnya. Moscow has demanded Kosovo's independence be annulled, and last year was joined in its opposition by Spain and China, each also facing major secessionist movements.

Source: Guardian

Abkhazia, S Ossetia, Nicaragua to sign important documents

2010-07-21T09:48:00.000+03:00

MEXICO CITY, July 21 (Itar-Tass) - A number of important documents concerning the development of relations with Nicaragua are to be signed by the leaders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Eduard Kokoity and Sergei Bagapsh, who are currently in that Central American country on a visit at the invitation of President Daniel Ortega.

During the talks, government officials from the Transcaucasian republics, who are accompanying Kokoity and Bagapsh, considered bilateral cooperation-related matters. The prepared documents are to be signed shortly during President Ortega's meeting with the leaders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Abkhazia is expected to sign treaties on friendship and cooperation and on visa-free travel. The sides have prepared agreements on economic interaction, transportation by air, merchant shipping, and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Central banks of the two republics.

For its part, South Ossetia intends to sign a Joint Declaration with Nicaragua. In the Declaration the sides will reaffirm their readiness for a further development of relations. Prepared for signature are also a treaty of friendship and economic cooperation, and an agreement on visa-free travel between the two countries.

Source: Itar-Tass

World Vision peace forum unites children and youth around a common vision

2010-07-20T18:11:00.003+03:00

By Patricia Mouamar - July 20, LEBANON - Children from Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Abkhazia met to celebrate their vision of peace and learn from each other’s experiences during World Vision’s first regional children and youth peace forum held in Lebanon.

More than 30 children and youth came together from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds to take part in the forum activities. Their countries have experienced either internal conflict like Bosnia and Herzegovina, cross-border conflict like Abkhazia, or both - as in the situation of Lebanon. For those children peace is not just the ability to play football freely, nor a responsibility left for grown-ups to handle.

“Peace is relationship,” said 14-year-old Aia, from Abkhazia. “When you have good relationships you cannot fall into conflict. All children [at the camp] had lived some sort of conflict, some are based on religious reasons, some on politics, but despite that, our role is to get together and say NO to tears, to wars and destructions.”

“Peace is not to have discrimination, hatred, humiliation and anger; it is like a little tree that needs to be watered with love, generosity, solidarity,” said 15-year-old George, from Lebanon. “A child is peace,” he added.

Children were inspired by their peers and the work they have done such as creating the Children’s Council in Lebanon, the book its members wrote about children’s rights and a song they recorded about living in peace. They listened to one another as they talked about their experiences, difficulties and challenges.

“We don’t have children councils in Bosnia, nor such kinds of activities,” said 13-year-old Amina from Bosnia. “We don’t do any of this. I would like to talk about this with my friends back home and maybe do some of these activities.”

“When I go home, I want to pass my ideas of building peace not war,” said 13-year-old Malik, from Bosnia. “My friends may laugh at the idea of peace building; they think that others just want war, but having a camp [forum, like this] would help them understand.”

“Children were communicating among each other as if they knew each other for ages,” said Ali, a youth volunteer with World Vision programmes.

Children also celebrated tolerance and diversity during a cultural night where they performed traditional dances, songs and played music from their own countries.

In many countries around the world, World Vision aims to support and empower children as peace builders in their communities. In Lebanon, the Children’s Council project is equipping children with tools, knowledge and skills to involve them in influencing their communities and peers to contribute to a more just, peaceful and tolerant society.

“Children’s interaction was very touching, especially in a country where people think that children are divided the same way adults are,” said Patricio Cuevas Parra, World Vision Advocacy Director in Lebanon.

The forum was funded by the Eagle Down Foundation and World Vision Switzerland.

Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia office

Minister of Education considers expedient merger of some village schools

2010-07-17T10:48:00.003+03:00

July 16, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- The Minister of Education Indira Vardania declared.

Small schools work in 20 villages of the republic.

“There are villages with two, and at times - three schools, and the number of pupils does not exceed 70”, Vardania said.

The Minister of Education drew attention to the fact that in the village of Jashtkhua of the Sukhum district two schools with 118 pupils function today, in the village of Eshera there are two schools where no more than 20 pupils study. Two schools are in the village of Primorskoye of the Gudauta district, two schools with 70 pupils are in the village of Kulanurkhua, two schools are in the village of Pakuash of the Ochamchira district.

“We share the opinion of our intellectuals that a village lives until the school lives, but small schools are not a solution. Merger of schools in the country will make it possible to solve problems of shortage of teachers of some disciplines and equipping with training and material resources”, Indira Vardania believes.

Prime Minister Sergey Shamba received representatives of Jordanian Business Circles

2010-07-17T10:35:00.000+03:00

15 July, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- Prime Minister Sergey Shamba received representatives of business circles of Jordan, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ruben Migranyan said.

“The possibility of foreign investments penetration and creation of joint ventures in the Republic of Abkhazia was discussed at the meeting. The guests were interested in the possibilities of developing business in different spheres of economy, communications, state guarantees for investments and so on”, Migranyan specified.

The Prime Minister acquainted businessmen with the priority areas of the national economy, home market needs and its possible development. Sergey Shamba called Jordanian businessmen to cooperate, reaffirming Abkhazia’s interest in the development of mutually beneficial contacts. Businessmen from Jordan also expressed their interest in cooperation.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

President Bagapsh: ''Adressing Abkhaz Diasporas in Turkey, Syria and Western Europe is important''

2010-07-07T23:31:00.004+03:00

July 7, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- Work with Abkhaz Diasporas in Turkey, Syria and Western European countries, establishment of strong contacts with cultural organizations of compatriots, creation of favorable conditions for their repatriation to the historical Motherland is an important area of foreign policy activities of the Republic of Abkhazia, President Sergey Bagapsh declared today, delivering to the Parliament his annual message on the state of affairs in the country.

“We face the task of working out a state concept on the problem of repatriation, including the fine-tuning of mechanisms of social, cultural and political adaptation of repatriates in the environment new to them”, he said. “From the point of view of intensification of contacts with compatriots and the process of their return, opening of direct sea and air communication with the Turkish Republic is one of the top priorities since that would simplify communication with the historical Motherland for many our compatriots”.

At the same time, according to the President, Abkhazia continues to participate actively in the Community For Democracy and Rights of Nations. The emphasis is placed on the sphere of political, cultural and socio-economic relations with the member-countries of this interstate association.

“We are vitally interested in maintaining stability and solid peace in the Caucasian region, in its socio-economic and political development. Forming a friendly environment and strengthening good-neighborliness on the principles of respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity is of key value for our country. Abkhazia's neighborhood with the Russian Federation creates favorable conditions for overcoming isolation from the outer world, for dynamical, peaceful development and prosperity”, the President of Abkhazia declared.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

GDP per capita in Abkhazia is higher than in Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kirghizia, Mongolia

2010-07-07T17:07:00.003+03:00

July 7, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- GDP per capita in Abkhazia is higher than in such countries as Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kirghizia, Mongolia, Laos, Myanma, Tajikistan, as well as almost all African states, except for three ones, the Minister of Economy of Abkhazia Christina Ozgan believes.

Today for the first time the State Statistics Department has submitted to the republic leadership GDP of Abkhazia for 2009 that amounts RUB 15 billion 676 million 584 thousand. GDP per capita amounts RUB 72 thousand 543.

“Much work has been done, and I want to say, that taking into account these circumstances, we have certain prospects. This indicator will make it possible to trace back our macroeconomic policy in very many aspects”, Christina Ozgan said. According to the Minister of Economy, calculation of such indicators, as a share of GDP budget deficit, stock of money in per cent, velocity of money, level of taxation, energy intensity, metal consumption is to be done.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Grand opening of a sports hall held in Ochamchira

2010-07-07T17:04:00.003+03:00

July 7, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- Grand opening of a sports hall was held in Ochamchira. It was attended by President Sergey Bagapsh, Vice-President Alexander Ankvab, the "Abhazsstroi” head Ruslan Tvanba, representatives of district Administration, townspeople and, certainly, children, young athletes for whose sake much work had been done to restore the sports hall.

RUB 20 mln was spent on the repair that had lasted for a year and a half. The basketball court, stands, three shower cabins had been overhauled. Independent power supply had been installed in the hall.

A duty of honor to cut the ribbon was conferred to Vice-President Alexander Ankvab and one of the Ochamchira sports school pupils.

“There is no other sports hall like this anywhere in Abkhazia. It is possible to hold republican tournaments and competitions on an international scale here”, Bagapsh said. He said that similar halls would be built in Gudauta, Gagra, Sukhum.

“The development of sports favors nation's health. We will focus a great attention on it henceforth”, he stressed.

The President pointed to the Vice-President Alexander Ankvab's special role who had supervised the sports hall reconstruction personally.

The head of Ochamchira district administration Murman Dzhopua said the district that had been damaged much during the 1992-1993 Patriotic War of the Abkhaz nation, had received much aid over the last 4-5 years, the government placed high emphasis on its development.

In honor of sports hall opening basketball teams of Sukhum and the village of Tamysh of the Ochamchira district played an unofficial match.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Abkhazia Will Have to Live Under International Law - Sergey Bagapsh

2010-07-02T12:15:00.002+03:00

July 1, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- “Abkhazia is no longer as it has been before August, 2008 events. The international recognition of independence imposes heavy responsibility on us”, President Sergey Bagapsh said at a meeting with the “United Abkhazia” activists.

Abkhazia will have to live under international law. “All disputable issues including endless housing complaints must be settled as required by the law”, he said.

The head of state lays certain hopes on the judicial system reform, qualitative improvement of its work.

According to the President, he and other members of the government receive a lot of complaints about judges’ illegal decisions, officials’ utterly rude attitude, unsatisfactory work of law enforcement bodies, violations at the border, and insults to the people coming on vacation to Abkhazia.

The President also drew attention to violations at the Georgian-Abkhaz border. “The control check we have conducted has shown that money has been illegally taken from a man when he crossed the border on the river Ingur. Another shift has taken money from him when he came back”, Bagapsh said with indignation.

The President promised to establish order there till the end of his second term in office with support from his associates.

Touching upon the country’s budget, he said, the following year it would possibly increase for RUB 500 mln.

“We owe much to our people. Increase of the budget will give us the chance to increase their salaries, benefits and other social payments. First of all it applies to disabled veterans, orphans, mothers who have lost their sons. Our teachers’ salaries are inadmissibly low”, Bagapsh said. “At the expense of what can we boost salaries? Certainly, at the expense of the increase of the budget, at the expense of the development of economy, creation of industry, transit, re-export. And we have a lot of such programs.

Source: AbkhaziaGov.

Sergey Bagapsh Supports Multi-party Political System in Abkhazia

2010-07-02T10:18:00.003+03:00

July 1, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- President Sergey Bagapsh supports multi-party political system in Abkhazia. “The political system of Abkhazia must be based on a multi-party system. We are now in the situation when the necessity of changes in the political system of the country has become obvious. There should be three-four parties in Abkhazia, competing with each other in a civilized manner, struggling for power legally, politically”, President Sergey Bagapsh said at a meeting with the “United Abkhazia” activists.

“Like it or not, but we have and will have both a party that has won, and oppositional political forces. We will have to take it as a given”, the Head of State said.

At the same time Bagapsh also emphasized the enormous responsibility of the party, whose candidate wins the presidential election.

Source: AbkhaziaGov.

Lavrov: The Problem of Sukhum and Tskhinval is also settled for other serious countries

2010-06-16T10:18:00.003+03:00

June 15 -- The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov declared that, by recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia had “finally” settled these conflicts, what “other serious countries” agree with.

“For us the question is settled once and for all. I'll take it upon myself to say that it is also finally and irrevocably settled for other serious countries. Simply by virtue of political correctness or other political reasons they cannot officially acknowledge this. I have said, on more than one occasion: that was not our choice; all complaints, if someone still has any, should be addressed to Mikhail Saakashvili, who trampled the territorial integrity of Georgia”, he said in an interview with the Kommersant when he was asked, whether the status quo in relation to separative regions was forever.

As he said, the point about defining the status of these regions had been crossed out from the final draft cease-fire agreement of August 12, 2008 by request of president Saakashvili.

“When the aim of the operation to suppress aggression was fulfilled and the Russian president gave the order to halt the military operation, the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan was agreed upon, providing the basis for further action. The sixth point of the plan was the thesis about the need to start international discussions on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and on ensuring their security. We signed up for this. That is, on August 12, 2008, the day on which the military operation was concluded, the Russian president agreed that the status of these regions was subject to international debate”, Lavrov said and went on:

“We did not have any thoughts that would have a geopolitical dimension. We were thinking about how to stop the killing of our citizens and residents of South Ossetia. We just took a breath and were in the political framework of which I now speak. We were ready on the day of the end of hostilities to continue the discussion on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The document was agreed. French President Nicolas Sarkozy took it to Tbilisi. And then he rang and said that Saakashvili was categorically against discussing the status of these republics, that for him the status was clear and this phrase must be crossed out. We agreed”.

“By the way, Saakashvili also manipulated other parts of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan. Because the six points were preceded by an introductory text, which read: the Russian and French presidents endorse the following principles and urge the parties to implement them. In the document which eventually Saakashvili agreed to sign, he not only threw out the phrase about the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but also struck out the introductory part and now claims that the document calls for Russia, inter alia, to discontinue some things, whereas the introductory part said clearly and unambiguously that the two presidents urged the parties to do so-and-so. That’s why it is called the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan”, Lavrov said in an interview.

As he said, Russia had already fulfilled the obligations ensuing from the cease-fire agreement in the context of withdrawal of its troops from the separatist regions what Tbilisi and international organizations called Moscow to.

“The troops who participated in the suppression of the attack on South Ossetia were withdrawn to Russian territory. By that time, status discussions had failed amid revanchist statements from Tbilisi that the war was not over. So by the end of August it was decided that there was no way to ensure the security and survival of the Abkhaz and South Ossetians other than recognizing their independence. And the current contingents of Russian troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia are there on a different legal basis – on the basis of the agreements between Russia and the two states recognized by it. Russia has fulfilled this part of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan”, Lavrov said.

He also said that “those who say that we should return to the line we held before August 8 forget that prior to August 8, 2008 our troops stood in the depths of Georgian territory”.

“The peacekeepers were not only in South Ossetia, which was then part of Georgia, but also outside it. The same thing was also around Abkhazia. Therefore, if they call upon us to advance beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia to the lines on which our peacekeepers had ensured security before August 8, 2008, I would be grateful if they told us directly so”, Lavrov declared.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Abkhazia spot on for domino world championships

2010-06-07T21:40:00.001+03:00

RT, June 7 -- Abkhazia has been chosen as the host of the next year’s world championship in dominoes.

The decision to award the honor to the state was made in Las Vegas, which was the venue of the last championship, the head of Abkhaz Dominoes Federation, Artur Gabunia, told Interfax news agency.

It was expected that the 2011 tournament would take place in Venezuela or the Dominican Republic. But Gabunia offered the candidacy of Abkhazia, which received wide support.

The Federation’s head added that the representatives of Russia and Venezuela were among those who were the most active in backing his idea.

Now Abkhazia is awaiting the arrival of the commission from the International Federation of Dominoes, which will determine the conditions of the championship.

The international status of Abkhazia remains disputed. So far its independence has been recognized only by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru.

Dominoes are played at a professional level, similar to poker. The game is especially popular in Latin America, where it is often broadcast on TV.

Source: RT

Road Accidents in Abkhazia are a threat to the National Security - The United Abkhazia

2010-06-07T13:02:00.004+03:00

June 6, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- The United Abkhazia Republican Political Party addressed the public of the country warning about a threat to the national security in view of the situation on roads and increase of fatal road accidents.

“The Republic of Abkhazia is on a new stage of its development. The developed system of political and military guarantees of the state’s security makes it possible to focus common efforts on solving important problems of socio-economic development of the country, protection of life, health and property of the citizens, protection of their rights and legitimate interests”, a Statement from the Political Council of the United Abkhazia Republican Political Party says.

According to the Party, protection of interests of the society and the state by preventing road accidents and reducing gravity of aftereffects is of no small importance.

Road accidents in Abkhazia, according to the United Abkhazia, “can be considered as a threat to the national security as their victims are, as a rule, young and healthy people”.

According to the statistics, annually in the world 1, 2 million people die in road accidents and about 50 million sustain injuries.

According to State Motor Vehicle Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, 12 people died for 4 months of 2010, 42 died in 2009.

“We are extremely concerned about this tragical statistics. Taking into account population of the republic and road accident victims ratio we can speak about a threat impending over the future of the nation. Urgent, effective measures aimed at ensuring road safety must be taken. We must do the utmost to save our citizens’ lives”, the United Abkhazia addresses the public.

When analyzing road safety, according to the United Abkhazia, “we should differentiate between drivers’ responsibility for observing road regulations and state measures preventing road accidents”

Factors influencing road accident probability the road traffic participants are responsible for are:

• excess of the speed-limit,

• use of mobile phones when driving,

• non-use of safety belts,

• use of alcoholic beverages and other substances leading to relaxation of attention,

• insufficient standard of road regulations knowledge,

• low standard of culture and driving culture.

Among the necessary measures for preventing road accidents and reducing gravity of their aftereffects the state should take, the United Abkhazia names:

• installation of traffic lights at crossroads, signs and special obstacles, “sleeping policemen” and security cameras at the most unsafe road sections;

• crossing sings (zebras);

• timely reparation of roads;

• liquidation of spontaneous parking lots along roads;

• reparation of sidewalks;

• public control over driving license examinations;

• strict measures to traffic offenders;

• working out of a system program for preschool and general education institutions for studying road regulations and principles of personal and social safety;

• implementation of legal and technical measures aimed at ensuring safety for all road traffic participants.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Abkhazia accuses Georgia of firing on customs car

2010-06-01T13:53:00.001+03:00

SUKHUM, June 1 (Itar-Tass) -- Abkhazia’s authorities have accused Georgian secret services of firing on a car with customs officers, chairman of the State Customs Committee of Abkhazia Said Tarkil told ITAR-TASS.

One of the Abkhazian customs officers was killed, another two were injured as a result of shooting on the car in which they were staying. According to Said Tarkil, the car with the customs officers was approaching the police post situated in the village of Saberio in immediate proximity to the Georgian-Abkhazian border when it was fired on from automatic arms.

"The customs officers opened return fire, but the attackers escaped to the adjacent Georgian territory," Tarkil said. "As a result, one customs officer Gennady Kvitsinia died and his two colleagues Dzhigania and Bagatelia got injuries and were brought to the republican hospital in Sukhum."

Source: Itar-Tass

Keep it up, Abkhazia! by Karlos Zurutuza

2010-05-29T14:45:00.004+03:00

People are always curious. “But why Abkhazia?” they ask. It is indeed a tough question, not one I can answer in any very coherent way. Before I even start, hundreds of images swirl through my mind. Images of Strabo’s army of 70 translators, Jason’s Argonauts in Colchis, but also the Genoese and the Turks, Keraban the Terrible and Konstantin Paustovsky. Did you know that Paustovsky once got drunk with Isaac Babel in the monastery hostel in Novy Athos?

So I secured my clearance letter, mailed to me as a PDF document, and that granted me Maxim Gunjia’s warm welcoming in Sukhum. And then came that picnic day with Aljasur, a Chechen war veteran from Grozni. “We came on foot from Chechnya to help,” he said, pointing to a mountain path that skirted an achingly beautiful lake called Ritsa. That day I saw offerings to both Ajargi and Ananagunda, two of the Abkhaz old divinities, and learned about local hunters speaking a language that, they said, “their prey would not understand.” Would they dare to speak it in Khabug’s presence? Probably not, for Sandro of Chegem’s old mule was nobody’s fool.

And there was also that Abkhaz superb linguist who spoke every local lingo but also lots of very foreign ones…even Basque! Among a million things he told me was the tale of the Estonians who lived at a tiny village called Salme. Unfortunately, the Estonians had left by the time I first visited Abkhazia.

A bottle of brandy shared with an Armenian painter from Gulripsh and a green eyed Greek sailor from Gagra. We toasted for Hayastan, for Dioscurias, and for many other places that I cannot now recall. But I do remember a wonderful dusk light over a sumptuous Mingrelian meal. That was in Gali.

You have given me so much, Apsny-Abkhazia! Let independence be the tool to keep all your treasures safe and, at the same time, open to the rest of the world!

Karlos ZURUTUZA, Freelance correspondent specializing in the Caucasus and the Middle East regions. BASQUE COUNTRY.

Source: Reflections on the Caucasus - Circassian World

PACE to present a report after visiting Abkhazia and Georgia

2010-04-16T12:51:00.005+03:00

April 16 -- After visiting Abkhazia and Georgia the representatives of the PACE promise to make a report which will be presented on the upcoming session, which will be held at the end of April, the sources report.

As the PACE reporter Matyas Eorsi stated the delegation had arrived at Sukhum “in order to get acquainted with the situation existing in the country after the events taken place in August 2008.”

“The report will be prepared according to whatever is seen or heard by us,” he has mentioned.

The OSCE delegation was received by president of Sergey Bagapsh. The head of the country has introduced to the situation in Abkhazia, as well as the disposition of the authorities concerning the normalization of the Georgian – Abkhazian relations.

The PACE members will also meet with the Prime Minister of Abkhazia Sergey Shamba and the foreign Minister Maxim Gvinjia.

Abkhaz passports for travel abroad will be issued to the citizens of Abkhazia from the beginning of summer

2010-04-16T12:48:00.001+03:00

April 13, SUKHUM, ABKHAZIA -- Abkhaz passports for travel abroad will be issued to the citizens of Abkhazia from the beginning of summer. Today the leadership of Abkhazia has approved the layout of the Abkhaz passport for travel abroad made in Goznak.

On Tuesday, April13, the President Sergey Bagapsh held a meeting where the layout of the Abkhaz passport for travel abroad made by Goznak was discussed.

The meeting was attended by the Vice President Alexander Ankvab, the Speaker of the Parliament Nugzar Ashuba, the Vice PMs of the Government Leonid Lakerbaya, Daur Tarba, Beslan Kubrava and Alexander Stranichkin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Maxim Gvindzhia, the Presidential Administration head Grigory Enik.

The Vice President Alexander Ankvab who is in charge of the passport design, presented a document layout to the meeting participants.

The Abkhaz passport for travel abroad consists of 36 pages with the cover of dark blue color. All pages of the passport are numbered; the State Emblem of the Republic of Abkhazia as well as water marks are printed on every page. The images of the Sukhum quay, Lake Ritsa, elements of ancient Abkhaz ornaments both hidden, which are not visible, and noticeable are used as a water mark original.

In the upper part of the cover’s face “Republic of Abkhazia” is printed by foil of silver color in the Abkhaz, Russian and English languages, in the lower part - the word "Passport" also in three languages, and the image of the State Emblem in the centre.

Personal data of the passport bearer is indicated on the last page: on the right, where the photo is pasted in, in the Russian and English languages. On the left separately – the surname, the given name and the patronymic of a citizen in the Abkhaz language and the signature of the bearer. All other texts in the passport are also in three languages.

“The passport is up to all international standards. It is made by Goznak with the use of all possible degrees of protection. It’s impossible to find fault with the passport from this viewpoint”, Ankvab stressed. “In my opinion, we can agree on this variant”.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

Dieter Boden expressed regret in connection with Vladislav Ardzinba's Death

2010-03-12T17:44:00.003+02:00

March 11, SUKHUM, Abkhazia -- On March 11 in first half of the day Dieter Boden met with the President Sergey Bagapsh and the Vice-President Alexander Ankvab.

Within the framework of his informal visit the former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict Dieter Boden delivered an open lecture on international problems on the Abkhaz State University invitation.

As to the meeting with the deputy Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Daur Kove, according to the press-service, the region’s urgent problems were discussed during the meeting.

Mr. Boden said that, despite his primary activity as a scientist-teacher, he continued taking an interest in the region’s destiny and watched closely the processes on the Southern Caucasus.

Touching upon the issue of the Geneva discussions, Mr. Boden said that in spite of the fact that little progress had been yet achieved in the course of the discussions; nevertheless, the Geneva format remained the most important forum to discuss common problems. “In spite of the fact that each participant of the Geneva discussions aims at nonrenewal of hostilities, all parties adhere to their vision of the problem resolution”, the deputy Foreign Minister declared.

The MFA international department head Lana Agrba said that the main goal of the Geneva consultations was to sign an agreement on the non-use of force, and this document must become the basic legal guarantor of stability in the region.

Mr. Boden said that forming a legal foundation for strengthening relations between the parties it was also important to take into consideration the agreements that had been concluded earlier. It was also mentioned that international guarantors continued to play an important role in strengthening trust.

Mr. Boden was also interested in the situation in the Kodori Valley.

The international department chief said that ICRC continued to render humanitarian aid to the valley’s residents.

Daur Kove stressed that it was very important for the Abkhaz society to maintain relations with Europe in cultural, educational and academic spheres. “Solving a problem connected with the destiny of Abkhazia, it is also important to listen to the Abkhaz side’s opinion”, the deputy Minister said, discussing the cases when citizens of Abkhazia had been refused Schengen visas. Mr. Boden also stressed the importance of solving daily problems while the political settlement was still being delayed.

Discussing the recent document on the problem resolution prepared by Georgia, Dieter Boden said that, despite some unacceptable wordings, the document, nevertheless, contained some interesting remarks. Daur Kove emphasized that the parties’ political will continued to remain an important component of establishing solid relations between the conflicting parties. Until there’s no will, no such documents will help reestablish trust.

Closing the meeting, Mr. Boden pointed to the importance of such meetings which allow to get to know the daily problems and the conflict parties’ opinion in detail, as well as to give corresponding information to other people and institutions interested in resolving the region’s main problems.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

We should rely not only on aid from outside but also on our own resources - Sergey Bagapsh

2010-03-03T11:06:00.003+02:00

March 2, 2010 - SUKHUM, ABKHAZIA -- “We should rely not only on aid from outside but, first of all, on our own resources”, the President Sergey Bagapsh said at the new Cabinet’s first session which was held on Tuesday, March 2. The head of the state congratulated all on their appointment and wished them success.

According to Bagapsh, increase of efficiency of state administration bodies, heads of city and district administrations must become the Cabinet’s and the country leadership’s priority.

“You are the people with whom we have been already working for five years. During this time you have developed as specialists. I don’t like to throw away specialists. Over the past years we all had to close gaps in the legislation and the budget. Today we are on a new stage of development, I ask you to take it into consideration”, the president said, addressing members of the government.

Sergey Bagapsh gave ministers and vice PMs in charge of them a month to prepare "serious, well-founded plans for the development of the ministries”. “First of all, it is a question of the Ministries of Finance, Economy, Taxes and Tax collection”, the President said, adding that all members of the government should give paramount importance to the development of the national economy.

The head of the state drew members of the government’s attention to the necessity to develop the sphere of production. “Re-export, transport infrastructure, resorts - all this is very important, but, first of all, we should develop production and the agrarian sector”, Bagapsh said.

He stressed inadmissibility of ignoring the development of the agrarian sector and charged the Minister of Agriculture Jury Akaba to tackle the matter of agriculture reform in real earnest.

“The development of agriculture will take investments, considerable cash recourses. We are ready to spend a part of the Privatization fund means on complex development of agriculture. If we don’t develop agriculture, we will ruin the development of the national economy”, the President said.

At the session it was also a question of the necessity to reform the judicial branch of power, to improve courts’ working conditions, to increase judges’ salary and authority, to solve personnel problems, to develop legislation, to work out subordinate legislation in addition to the laws passed by the Parliament.

The President also placed emphasis on the issues of education, training of pedagogical personnel, and expansion of the kindergartens system. According to him, the Ministry of Education should think of opening new special, technical education establishments to train specialists for different spheres of economy.

“We need the most rigid economy in all”, he said addressing the vice PM, the Finance Minister Beslan Kubrava.

“Distribution of money must be under the rigid control of the Prime Minister. I will too keep an eye on it”, Sergey Bagapsh promised.

Touching upon the issue of rendering assistance to veterans who need treatment, he said: “We must render assistance to veterans; however money should be transferred to a medical institution instead of handing it”.

Bagapsh promised to henceforth give particular attention to security agencies. He expressed discontent with the conditions military men serve and live in.

The head of the state charged the Minister of Internal Affairs Otar Khetsia “to revise the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, allocation of responsibilities, to change the work style for the better”. “Efficiency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and criminality preventive measures are the most important thing”, Bagapsh said.

Sergey Bagapsh urged members of the government to employ more actively young, competent specialists, to appoint them deputy ministers.

“I have no doubts about decency and honesty of ministers”, Bagapsh said. At the same time he demanded “to introduce order among your employees". "Those who want to make big money, let them go to business”, he said.

Addressing journalists, the head of the state said that it should be done so that the voice of Abkhazia be heard more in the world.

According to the President, some changes should be made to the law on the mass-media providing for journalists’ responsibility for published materials.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

National Card Payment System to be Created in Abkhazia

2010-03-02T17:37:00.005+02:00

March 1, 2010 - SUKHUM, ABKHAZIA -- According to a decree issued by the President Sergey Bagapsh, the National card payment system will be created in Abkhazia.

“In an effort to coordinate and regulate settlement relations with the use of cards, and to meet the requirements of the population of the Republic of Abkhazia in modern bank products and services, to increase inclusion of physical persons in non-cash payments and to create the payment infrastructure in the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia”, the National bank of the Republic of Abkhazia is charged to:

1)create the National card payment system (including cards of international payment systems) till December, 2010;

2)give basic provisions of functioning of the National card payment system, basic provisions of rules and standards of card payments till June 1, 2010;

3) develop a bill of the Republic Abkhazia “About the use of cards in the Republic of Abkhazia” till July 1.

Source: Abkhazia Gov.

New Publication: ''Abkhaz: A Comprehensive Self-Tutor'' by George Hewitt‏

2010-02-01T17:45:00.002+02:00

''Abkhaz: A Comprehensive Self-Tutor'' by George Hewitt

LINCOM Europa Academic Publications

LSG 03: Abkhaz

A Comprehensive Self-Tutor

George Hewitt
SOAS, University of London

Abkhaz belongs to the small North West Caucasian language-family, whose other members are the various Circassian dialects and Ubykh, extinct since 1992. It is spoken by (a) upto 100,000 Abkhazians either in the historical homeland of the Republic of Abkhazia, located in north-west Transcaucasia, or in Russia, and (b) an indeterminate number of members of the diaspora-communities, which have been centred on Turkey since the great exodus from Abkhazia following Russia's conquest of the North Caucasus in 1864; ethnic Abkhazians in Turkey number between 300,000 and half a million, and smaller communities are found elsewhere in the Near East (plus Europe and America). Each member of the language-family is characterised by (i) large consonantal phoneme-inventories coupled with minimal vowel-systems, (ii) morphs often consisting of just a consonant(-complex) ± vowel, and (iii) extreme polysynthetic verbal complexes, all of which combine to present the learner/speaker with considerable challenges.Serious attempts to provide Abkhaz (and Circassian) with scripts only began in Tsarist Russia in the late 19th century, by which date all speakers of Ubykh had migrated to the Ottoman Empire (settling in regions of today’s Turkey).

Since that time, a number of orthographies have been used for Abkhaz. The current, Cyrillic-based standard in Abkhazia was devised (by a committee!) after Stalin died (1953), though a slight spelling reform was introduced in the late 1990s to regularise the marking of the feature of labialisation. The most divergent Abkhaz dialect, Abaza, is spoken in the actual North West Caucasus (Russia), where it has its own alphabet. Whilst grammatical sketches and grammars of Abkhaz designed for linguists exist in a variety of languages (including my own grammar ‘Lingua Descriptive Studies 2: Abkhaz’, originally published in 1979, though it was most recently reprinted), this is the first attempt to produce a comprehensive, graded self-tutor. It is based on the literary dialect, Abzhywa, which is one of only two dialects remaining in the ancestral territory (the other being Bzyp). The work consists of: Introduction, 19 explanatory chapters with exercises plus one chapter of texts, an Appendix dealing with mathematical terms, Key to the exercises, and a grammatical Summary.

ISBN 9783895866708. LINCOM Student Grammars 03. 332pp. 2010.

http://tiny.cc/ACemU

http://www.lincom.eu/

Interview with Nadir Bitiev, Advisor to the President of Abkhazia

2010-01-17T19:03:00.004+02:00

Bruce Talley (http://www.brucetalley.com/) interviewed with Nadir Bitiev, an advisor to Abkhazia's President Sergei Bagapsh, on November 20, 2009 in Sukhum, Abkhazia. Mr. Bitiev spoke about the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, Abkhazia's war with Georgia in 1992-93 and subsequent independence and the growth in tourism in the post-conflict environment.

Part 1

Part 2