Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia
On March 11, 2014 , speaking in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk allowed himself a series of false and frankly provocative statements regarding the situation in the Republic of Abkhazia.
Referring to information clearly derived from questionable sources Yatsenyuk argues that in Abkhazia on the background of economic dislocation and unemployment are rampant corruption, lawlessness, banditry and arms trafficking.
This is exactly how Yatsenyuk draws the future of the Republic of Crimea in the case of withdrawal from Ukraine. In the civilized world it is indecent to show your own ignorance in public. However, in this case, it is no surprise for anyone, since Yatsenyuk exists in a special system of coordinates defined by illegitimate armed coup that brought his government to power. In this system of coordinates are actually encouraged rampant extremism and acts of fascist thugs, including those who fought in the composition of Georgian armed gangs against the people of Abkhazia in 1992-1993. In Kiev violation of the constitution and laws has become a commonplace, as well as making decisions based on "revolutionary expediency."
Notorious "information" by Yatsenyuk is suspiciously similar to the malicious lie that is circulated about Abkhazia by the former apology for a president Mikhail Saakashvili. Probably there is no coincidence that this discredited and despised everywhere, including his native Georgia, person joined the "revolutionary" government of Ukraine as an adviser. In this regard, I would like to remind Arseniy Yatsenyuk that the Republic of Abkhazia is a small, but established state where power is generated by legitimate constitutional way through free and democratic elections, and not as a result of armed coups and "Maidans".
After the recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia by the Russian Federation the annual economic growth in the country became 13%, foreign trade turnover increased almost by 300%, incomes of the population increased by 450%. Recovery of social infrastructure destroyed by Georgian militias is at full speed. That is why Abkhazia is becoming more attractive to migrant workers from other countries, including Ukraine, Moldova and the Baltic countries - part of the European Union. The Republic of Abkhazia is annually visited by more than a million tourists from around the world. New hotels, restaurants, cafes and other tourist and recreational infrastructure are brought into operation. In 2013 the state border of the Republic of Abkhazia was crossed in both directions by about seven million people. Unlike the Kiev authorities, ethnic and linguistic diversity in our country is treated carefully. Chauvinistic principles of state policy are unacceptable in Abkhazia.
Therefore, no matter how Yatsenyuk was trying to prove the opposite, Abkhazia is a modern, dynamic and democratic country. The Republic of Abkhazia is confidently moving towards international recognition of its independent statehood and has no intention to turn away from this path.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk should have been advised to consider more carefully what he is going to speak on behalf of the government in Kiev. It is unworthy of a man claiming to occupy a high public office to distribute deliberate falsehood and blackening in respect of a whole country, no matter how small it is.
Returning to the events in Crimea, we believe that in these circumstances the citizens residing in the territory of the autonomous republic have the right to make self-reliant choice of their fate and political status of the peninsula in accordance with the universal right of peoples and nations to self-determination.