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

February 18 - SUKHUM, ABKHAZIA

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia expresses grave concern in connection with the President of the Republic of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili’s speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London on February 17, 2010 where he once again confirmed the Georgian party’s intention to solve the problem of Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian conflicts settlement by military means.

In the course of negotiations between Georgia and Abkhazia, the Georgian party has repeatedly broken the agreements signed between the parties and obligations taken upon itself. The fact that the policy of the Georgian leadership does not change and is aimed exclusively at the coercive resolution of conflicts to what the never-ending process of intensive Georgia’s remitalization testifies is not unexpected for us.

The position of many western states which, despite a recent Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia, continue rendering intensive military aid, encouraging thereby aggressive aspirations of the Georgian leadership also arouses circumspection. It is beyond any doubt that the Georgian party, continuing to participate in the Geneva discussions on peaceful settlement of conflicts, intentionally refuses to sign a document on international guarantees of the non-use of force in relation to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, thus acknowledging its revanchist mood in relation to both republics.

In this connection we call the international community to pay attention to the ongoing aggressive rhetoric of the President of Georgia and to take appropriate measures not to admit further militarization of Georgia and to prevent a new phase of tension on the South Caucasus.