Abkhazia Reaffirms Sovereignty, Calls for Global Acknowledgment
SUKHUM / AQW'A — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia has issued a strong statement urging the international community to recognise the results of the nation's self-determination and to acknowledge Abkhazia as an independent state. This appeal follows a recent statement by Francesca Gatt, Deputy Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations, made on behalf of several UN Security Council members, who reiterated the position that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are "an integral part of Georgia."
The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry criticised these repeated references to Georgia's "territorial integrity," describing them as "formulaic" and reflective of a "complete lack of objective understanding" of the situation in the Caucasus. The ministry also accused certain international actors of bias in their approach to resolving the ongoing crisis in the region.
The full statement by the MFA of Abkhazia reads as follows:
We have reviewed the statement made by Francesca Gatt, Deputy Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations, on behalf of the members of the UN Security Council — including France, Japan, Malta, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, the United States, as well as incoming members Denmark and Greece. In the statement, it was asserted that the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia are "an integral part of Georgia," accompanied by a call for Russia to withdraw its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
These formulaic and frequently repeated references to the so-called "territorial integrity of Georgia" reveal a profound lack of objective understanding regarding the situation in the Caucasus among certain international representatives. Furthermore, these statements clearly demonstrate a biased approach to resolving the long-standing crisis in our region.
In this regard, we reiterate that the Republic of Abkhazia is a sovereign state, with a statehood that spans many centuries. The Abkhazian people, through a historic struggle against Georgian colonialism and a protracted national liberation struggle against Georgian aggression, have successfully defended their rightful claim to freedom and independence. In this process, the people of Abkhazia acted fully in line with the fundamental principle enshrined in the UN Charter—the right of all peoples to self-determination.
It is with great disappointment that we observe how some members of the so-called international community interpret the fundamental principles of international law to suit their own temporary interests.
It is essential to emphasise that the people of Abkhazia affirmed their steadfast commitment to independence through a referendum held on 3 October 1999, where they approved the Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia, originally adopted in 1994. This constitution formally declared the Republic of Abkhazia as a sovereign, democratic, and lawful state, established historically on the basis of the people's right to self-determination. On 12 October 1999, based on the referendum results, the People's Assembly—Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia adopted the Act of State Independence of the Republic of Abkhazia.
Once again, we call upon representatives of the international community, who continue to cling to artificially constructed illusions, to finally acknowledge the objective reality that has taken shape in our region.
We urge the international community to recognise the will of the people of the Republic of Abkhazia, expressed fully in accordance with international norms and principles, and to acknowledge the political realities that have emerged in the Caucasus, where the Republic of Abkhazia stands as an independent state.