Statement from the Press-Service for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia

SUKHUM, ABKHAZIA   

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia expresses its concern in connection with continued demonstration of inadequate negligence and political incorrectness from the part of international humanitarian organizations which, despite numerous official appeals of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, continue to use in their official documents wordings contradicting modern political realities and denying existence of Abkhazia as a state.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia ascertains regretfully that in the reports, returns and other statements following the official appeal of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia of October 31, 2008 to the international humanitarian organizations with the request to be extremely correct and to use the correct way of writing Abkhaz toponyms, the humanitarian organizations, nevertheless, continue to use on official sites unacceptable anomalous geographical toponyms of Abkhazia, moreover, use Georgia after comma after Abkhazia, use combinations “Abkhazian separatists”, “de facto authorities”, “breakaway regions of Georgia” and other rhetoric unacceptable for the Abkhaz party.

Taking the opportunity the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia draws attention of all the international organizations including the UN organizations-subdivisions and partners that in the last report of the Secretary General of the United Nations on the situation in a conflict zone (S/2009/254 of May 18, 2009) any wordings belittling directly or by implication the status of the Republic of Abkhazia as an independent state have been omitted. We hope that this fact should be a model for representatives of international organizations which should refuse in our opinion politically incorrect rhetoric and support of cultural discrimination conducted by Georgia’s government regarding Abkhazia.

In the light of the developed conditions and in an effort of further fruitful interaction the Abkhaz side asks more than insistently to respect the historical heritage of the Abkhaz nation expressed, including in the correct use of native toponymic names as well as to strictly adhere to the neutral and weighed position choosing wordings. Henceforth the Abkhaz side will perceive this sort of neglect as demonstration of disrespect to the sovereignty of our state.
We consider mutual respect of the parties a pledge of further successful cooperation and a basis for building strong confidential relations.

Yours faithfully,

Sergey Shamba

THE MINISTER