INTERVIEW FOR THE NEWSPAPER “ABKHAZIAN MERIDIAN” (Sergei Shamba)

The challenges being faced today by Abkhazia

Being at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Abkhazia has always been a target for capture and conquest by the more powerful states surrounding it. Therefore throughout many thousands of years of its history, the people of Abkhazia have always faced threats.
At the present stage of development of our state, the basic threat to the political development of Abkhazia and to stability in the region remains the prospect of aggression from Georgia, which on the whole still continues. This has already become especially obvious, not only to the inhabitants of our region, but also to the entire world community. The events of August 2008 have clearly shown the necessity of searching for new adequate means of development and of counteracting any modern challenges or threats.
The changes which have occurred in the republic during the last year have led to the necessity of creating a foreign policy which as much as possible would reflect the interests of the state. There is a necessity to form an international environment around Abkhazia, ready to support the peace-loving policy of the Abkhazian Government and to communicate with us on the basis of good neighbourliness and mutual respect.
Abkhazia remains open for mutually advantageous contacts, and partnership with all countries interested in it. There is active work not only in the fields of security and strengthening stability, but also in the creation of a favourable image of Abkhazia. Owing to the information vacuum which has surrounded Abkhazia as a result of war, and a condition of non-recognition, the country for a long time has been deprived of the possibility of fully participating in cultural, educational, economic and other types of exchanges with the outside world. Economic and information blockades, an absence of high-quality access to advanced mass media, and the general state of backwardness in the usage of modern information-communication technology has also created certain difficulties in trying to inform the world community about the current state of affairs in Abkhazia. Therefore today there is a special urgency to the task of  popularising Abkhazia, not only to represent the country as having a huge and unique recreational potential, but also as possessing rich historical roots, an authentic way of life and a deep outlook which harmoniously combines with the concept of a true democracy.

Current orientation and priorities of Abkhazia

The country’s foreign policy is based upon such priorities as the achievement of international recognition and the development of mutually advantageous political and economic contacts.
After the recognition by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Nicaragua of the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia, our country has officially acquired the status of a subject of international law. Since that moment the Abkhazian Government defines and supervises the foreign policy of the country, taking into account the changed circumstances. As you know, between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia a Treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual aid has been concluded, which opens huge opportunities for our Republic in social and economic, trading, cultural, military-political and other areas of state development.
Today we are openly carrying on negotiations with other countries concerning the political recognition of Abkhazia. We should concentrate even more forcefully on searching for mutually advantageous political and economic contacts with the governments and public organisations of those countries which share the aspiration of the people of Abkhazia to sovereignty. We continue escalating our active contacts with the countries of Latin America, for which the recognition by Nicaragua of the independence of Abkhazia became an impulse for their adoption of the same decision.
Our delegation participating in the Geneva discussions continues its cooperation, directed towards upholding the position of Abkhazia concerning settlement of the conflict. We intend to continue our participation in the Geneva process, though in our opinion that process could develop a new format in the future.
As you know, the political aspect is practically not mentioned in the Geneva discussions. It is not included in the agenda as the president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, personally crossed out the item on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement, in which conduct of the Geneva discussions was defined. Thus, on the agenda of the Geneva discussions two questions remain: safety and refugees. Often Russia is accused of not carrying out the signed Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement. However the changes which have been brought in after signing of the agreement, (I remind you that Mr. Saakashvili deleted the item on discussion of the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the agreement), free Russia from having to fulfil its obligations. Therefore attempts by the Georgian side to excessively politicize this process look unreasonable, to say the least.

The curtailment of the Mission of the United Nations in Abkhazia

The Republic of Abkhazia government has declared time and again that it greatly appreciates the intermediary role of the United Nations in the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, but nevertheless the Mission could not be considered any more as a Mission in Georgia, which was demanded by the simple logic resulting from changed politico-legal realities. Given the new situation, the functioning of the Mission could only be carried out under the condition of an observance of neutrality and equidistant positioning by the United Nations Organization. Today we would like to find other forms of participation for the UN in the negotiating process, as the Organization is one of the moderators of the Geneva discussions.
Despite the curtailment of the United Nations Mission, the Abkhazian side does not support the aspiration of other peacekeeping organisations, chasing strictly political ends, to enter into the country to undertake monitoring along the border with Georgia. Considering that the mandate of the European monitoring mission extends only within Georgia, the management of this mission nevertheless continues to make unreasonable declarations concerning Abkhazia. The Abkhazian side has declared time and again that the activity of the European mission does not induce trust from us, because although being in Georgia, the European Union mission continues to ignore the renewed deliveries of armaments to that country. Escalation of the military potential of Georgia in the frontier regions with Abkhazia and South Ossetia also does not cause any concern to the European monitoring mission. This grants us the right to observe European Union activity as encouragement for Georgia to begin a new military confrontation. For this reason, the European monitoring mission cannot be considered sufficiently objective and impartial to be present in the territory of Abkhazia.
At the same time, we agree to the participation of representatives of the European Union in the five-sided meetings being held in Gal, within the limits of agreements reached during the Geneva discussions. In our opinion, with the aims of maintaining security and solving the acute humanitarian problems, these meetings between representatives of Abkhazia and Georgia, and also representatives of the United Nations, the Russian Federation and the European Union, will allow the development of an effective mechanism for the prevention of possible incidents.

Long-term prospects of cooperation with Russia

The Treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual aid between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia signed in Moscow has laid the foundation for legally binding long-term good neighbourliness and the strategic partnership of our countries. This document allows us to co-ordinate more accurately joint actions for the maintenance of our general interests. In particular, it is a matter of security, economic cooperation, and development in all areas of modern life.
We are actively developing contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and there has been an exchange of embassies. Within the limits of foreign policy interaction with the Russian Federation, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of our countries have signed a Memorandum of Mutual Understanding concerning cooperation in international relations which gives us the chance not only to develop relations with other countries, but also to actively strive to achieve international recognition. Abkhazian Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy is to coordinate the working out and signing of intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation, which is one more step on the way to improving and strengthening our constructive mutual relations.
At the same time, the Republic of Abkhazia is aiming to maintain and develop friendly relations with the countries of the world on the basis of mutual understanding and mutually advantageous cooperation. In this connection we actively work on the expansion and deepening of international contacts, we participate in international discussions, conferences and forums, and despite a shortage of resources, we lobby the interests of our state before the world community, invariably promoting the position of our republic in the international arena.
Modern Abkhazia stands within the ethnic and cultural revival which was suppressed throughout the whole of the 20th century.

Possibilities of renewal of Georgian-Abkhazian dialogue

Abkhazia repeatedly showed tolerance and applied peace initiatives in the solution of the big circle of problems connected with settlement of after-effects of the war with Georgia, however today we have to admit that the level of trust between our two countries has been considerably undermined. This is connected not only with the August events, which appreciably have closed doors for any peace initiatives, but also with the position of the Georgian authorities in the present situation. Meaningful dialogue between our countries is still threatened by the attitude of the Georgian government, which consists of a reinforcement of stress level and the conducting of armed provocations against Abkhazia. Today we are already in the situation where it is necessary to begin everything again with a blank sheet.
The problem of refugees, as well as of territorial integrity, is the main point in the political agenda of Georgia.
Today the problem of refugees in Georgia is a more political than social matter. It is possible to say that in its approach to the refugees problem Georgia differs from other countries in the way that the government is not trying to achieve social integration of this class of citizens, but uses the fact of their existence purely to attract the attention of the world community to the problem of restoration of the territorial integrity of the state. However when Tbilisi mentions that refugees who are returning to Abkhazia from the territory of Georgia do not feel protected there and are trying to preserve ways of returning to Georgia, the hidden reason for their vulnerability is primarily the unstable situation in the area, created by the Georgian side. Incessant provocations from Georgia adversely affect the lives of ordinary people, mainly the inhabitants in the Gal region of Abkhazia on the frontier with Georgia.
The government of Georgia does everything to ensure that the problem of refugees serves as a direct threat to the sovereignty of Abkhazia, and for a renewal of ethnic tension. In the present situation the Abkhazian side does not see any possibility of a large-scale return of Georgian refugees.
In a situation when the policy of Georgia is based solely on a desire to rebuild the territorial integrity of the state at any cost, it is obviously not possible to speak about peace initiatives. Dialogue from a position of force is generally impossible. Regimes in Georgia have altered, but unfortunately their policy in relation to Abkhazia has remained invariably hostile, whether that of Mensheviks, of Bolsheviks, of Gamsakhurdia, or of Shevardnadze and Saakashvili. Threats of military invasion remained until recently. In a situation when all agreements were regularly trampled upon, and these actions only reinforced our belief in the impossibility of meaningful dialogue, how can anyone speak about trust?
Today the political position of Tbilisi concerning Abkhazia continues to have an obviously deadlock character. One of the fatal illusions which Georgia is under is the conviction that the destiny of Abkhazia and the solution of the problem completely depend upon Russia. Thus, the role of Abkhazia in the given question, and furthermore the extent of its involvement in the international political process, Georgia wishes not simply to underrate, but to totally denigrate. At the same time Abkhazia has proved time and again its independence and diplomatic capacity, and has upheld its position against political opponents. Moreover, the Abkhazian side has achieved respect, including that of international mediators, for its balanced foreign policy and its readiness to compromise whilst at the same time not belittling the interests of the country. Abkhazia has always achieved the right to solve its destiny independently, as is proved by the centuries-old history of the Abkhazian people.
Today, dialogue should be started again with a blank sheet. The installation of peace initiatives will depend upon how constructive and realistic the attitude of the government of Georgia will be.