Russia-breakaway Abkhazia leaders meet to sign new treaty
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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and de-facto president of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia are scheduled to meet in Russia’s Black Sea resort town Sochi today and sign an alliance treaty despite the document being condemned by Georgia and the international community.
One aspect of the ‘Agreement on Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty outlined the creation of a joint Russian-Abkhazian military force.
The agreement was proposed by the Kremlin and amended by de-facto Abkhaz officials, and has been strongly condemned by official Tbilisi, who said the draft document was a step forward to the annexation of Georgia’s territories.
Yesterday the Kremlin announced that bilateral relations and cooperation in regional security would also be discussed at the meeting between Putin and so-called Abkhaz leader Raul Khajimba in Sochi.
Khajimba was confident that signing the treaty with Russia would be another step towards strengthening relations with Moscow. He believed the bilateral agreement was fully in line with the Abkhaz constitution.
"Russia was the only country that supported us when we had a hard time. Being unrecognized, Russia remained faithful to the historical alliance with Abkhazia. If not Abkhazia, NATO troops would have already been standing on Russia’s southern borders. We have protected ourselves and at the same time protected the interests of Russia as well,” Khajimba said in an interview with Abkhaz state television.
Khajimba stressed that the treaty was Russia’s demonstration and show of confidence and respect towards the Abkhaz people.
"Abkhazians reliability towards our traditional ally, Russia, is being tested. We should keep in mind that it is called the treaty on alliance and strategic partnership,” he said.
Proposed treaty will be protested in Sokhumi
The Moscow-proposed treaty has raised concerns in some parts of Abkhazia, with some saying certain paragraphs in the document are against the "Abkhaz statehood and sovereignty”.
Opposition political party Amtsakhara was expected to hold a protest rally in the main square of Sokhumi today, November 24.
Meanwhile the political supporters of Abkhaz leader Khajimba also called on society to organise a parallel rally for the same time that supported the signing of the treaty.
Tbilisi condemns Russia-Abkhazia treaty Official Tbilisi believes the revised ‘Agreement on Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a step towards the annexation of Georgia’s territories.
Deputy Interior Ministry Levan Izoria today said the document was illegal and unrecognised by the international community.
"We will continue the non-recognition policy in close cooperation with international society,” he said.
Georgia’s main opposition party United National Movement (UNM) have drafted a special resolution that called the Government to take action against the signing of the Russia-Abkhazia treaty.
UNM called for the country’s officials to take three main steps against the annexation of Abkhazia. It called for the country to join the international sanctions against Russia, invite the United Nations Security Council to Georgia and cancel the informal Georgia-Russia dialogue between Special representative of Georgia’s Prime Minister for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and Russia’s deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.
At a special media briefing today UNM leader David Bakradze said: "This is a continuation of the policy, which started even in the Soviet time when Abkhazia and Samachablo (Tskhinvali or South Ossetia, another breakaway region of Georgia) granted autonomy. Then in the 1920s there was the conflict and ethnic cleansing. "This was followed in 2008 by military occupation and now Russia tries with the legal annexation to finally indigenous the oldest parts of Georgia.”
Revised draft treaty
The Russia-Abkhazia ‘Agreement on Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ document is a revised version of the initial draft treaty after complaints were raised in Sokhumi.
The Abkhaz side changed the name of the document from ‘Agreement on Alliance and Integration’ to ‘Agreement on Alliance and Strategic Partnership’.
Like in the Russian draft, one of the main issues about the creation of a "common defence and security space” remained in the Abkhaz version among "key directions” of this "alliance and strategic partnership”.
The Kremlin said the validity of the proposed agreement was ten years but there was a possibility of extending the agreement for subsequent five-year periods.
As well as creating a "common defence and security space” the agreement also outlined a partnership on "implementing a coordinated foreign policy” and "establishing common social and economic area".
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry believes the revised draft treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a step forward to the annexation of Georgia’s territories.
De-facto Cabinet Ministers of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region have approved a bilateral treaty between Moscow and Sokhumi that outlined creating joint Russian and Abkhazian military forces.
The European Union (EU) believes the proposed 'Alliance and Integration' draft treaty between Russia and Georgia's breakaway region, the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, undermines the security and stability of the region.
NATO’s top regional representative said there was "strong concern” in the Alliance about the Kremlin-proposed ‘Alliance and Integration’ treaty Russia aimed to make with Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.
A Kremlin proposed new treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ with Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia and Russia will be signed by the end of this year, Abkhazia’s de-facto leader Raul Khajimba announced.
Georgia will ask the United Nations (UN) to convene a Security Council meeting to discuss the 'Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership' signed today between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.
NATO is calling on Russia to reverse its recognition of two Georgian lands - Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region - as independent states and to withdraw its forces from Georgia.
Russia’s signature of a so-called treaty on ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ with Georgia's breakaway region Abkhazia is detrimental to ongoing efforts to stabilise the security situation in the region, the European Union (EU) says.
The United States (US) says it will not recognise the legitimacy of any treaty between Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region and the Russian Federation.
The new agreement between Russia and breakaway Abkhazia reflects Russia's desire to annex part of Georgia, says Estonian Foreign Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus.
The ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty signed between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a step towards annexation of Georgia, President Giorgi Margvelashvili announced today.
The ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership' treaty signed between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a challenge for Georgia and for European and Euro-Atlantic security, believes Georgia’s State Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania has slammed the new alliance between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region and expressed its firm support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders.
Georgia’s close neighbour Ukraine is condemning the ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty signed this week between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.
A Russian alliance treaty between Moscow and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is an obstacle to peacefully resolving the conflict, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman.
Georgia’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Konstantine Korkelia is condemning Russia’s actions of aligning itself closer with Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region, and his comments have been applauded by all but one Council of Europe member states.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is again publically condemning the signing of the so-called ‘treaty’ between Moscow and the Sokhumi occupation regime and called it "de-facto annexation” of its territory.
Forging and strengthening international contacts is the best force against the so-called ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty signed between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia, says the Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze.
The condemned Russia-Abkhazia deal will take the limelight at the upcoming OSCE Ministerial Council and the Geneva International Discussions, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said.
NATO will soon have a bigger presence in Georgia as it helps support the country move towards Alliance membership.
De-facto leader of Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali’s (South Ossetia) region, Leonid Tibilov, believes there is a possibility the breakaway region’s accession into Russia will be considered in the proposed integration treaty between Moscow and Tskhinvali.
Lawmakers from the Russia's State Duma (the legislative body of the Russian Federation) have ratified a so-called treaty on ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership' with Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region today.
Georgia's Foreign Ministry is calling on the international community to give appropriate legal and political assessment of the ratification of a so-called alliance treaty between Russia and Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying a so-called treaty on ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership' with Georgia's breakaway region Abkhazia today.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has held a fruitful meeting with a high official from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) today in Tbilisi.