Abkhazia's De Facto President Seeks Positive 'Neighborly' Ties with Georgia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Abkhazia's de facto president, Aslan Bzhania, reiterated his appreciation for the 'pragmatic' steps taken by the Georgian authorities, emphasizing Abkhazia's interest in fostering good 'neighborly' relations with Georgia in an interview with the Russian publication Tass.
"During the last few years, as the special war operation started in Ukraine, the Georgian government has taken a pragmatic approach to everything. They have not participated in the provocations imposed by Ukraine and did not support the Ukrainian leader's call to open a second front. Therefore, I consider it a sign of political maturity," Bzhania said.
The de facto president stated that they have 'determined' their future and that the government of Georgia must acknowledge the current reality.
"We have determined our future. The government of Georgia will have to recognize the existing reality. I don't think I'm saying anything new, but after the war, things are not the same as they were before the war. War changes everything radically. In 1992, before the start of the war in Abkhazia, the Georgian government of that time should have known what would happen to all of this. This was probably one of the irreparable mistakes from the point of view of Georgia's integrity," Bzhania stated.
De facto President Bzhania noted that, in general, Abkhazia desires good 'neighborly' relations with Georgia:
"I can say that we have no antagonism towards the Georgian people. We have grievances with those who started this war and also with those who participated in it. This issue radically changed everything," de facto president said.
Bzhania stated that Abkhazia is now an 'independent' country, with its 'independence' supported by the Russian government and people. He mentioned that Abkhazia is charting its own course of development while also aiming for positive relations with Georgia. Additionally, he acknowledged the complexities involved in fostering such relations.
"Today, there is an independent Abkhazia, whose independence is supported by the Russian government and people. We have our own path of development, and we follow it. At the same time, we are interested in good neighborly relations with Georgia. This is one story. The second story is that we understand how difficult it is," Bzhania said.
