Georgian Reconciliation Minister says safety of people is key priority in occupied Abkhazia
Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said the developments in occupied Abkhazia are noteworthy in terms of pubic safety and human rights situation in the region. Photo: Facebook of State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality
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State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said the safety of the population in the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia is the key priority amid current tension there.
Tsikhelashvili said the situation in occupied Abkhazia cannot be considered as legitimate overall. However, the developments are noteworthy in terms of public safety and the human rights situation in the region.
Our policy would remain unchanged in any case, because there are no alternatives to peace and reconciliation”, Tsikhelashvili stated.
Ruslan Abashidze, the head of the legitimate government of Abkhazia, which is in exile in Tbilisi, noted as well that none of the processes in the region will have legitimacy under the ongoing occupation and militarisation.
It is our obligation and duty to ensure the safety of our citizens and engage every international partner”, Abashidze stated.
The de facto Supreme Court of Abkhazia announced yesterday that the so-called presidential elections in the region on September 8, 2019 were illegitimate and ruled to call for repeat “elections”.
Russian Foreign Ministry has responded to the current tension in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region and urged the de facto government and the opposition to negotiate for peace.
De facto parliament in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region has adopted a resolution, urging de facto President Raul Khajimba to resign amid public protests. 19 so-called MPs supported the resolution, four went against, while one refused to vote, Russian media outlets report. Khajimba is ready to negotiate with the opposition, refusing to resign, RIA Novosti reports.
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili announced today that she is paying close attention to the developments in the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia. State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili spoke of the situation in Sokhumi as well.
The de facto Supreme Court of the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia announced yesterday that the so-called presidential elections in the region on September 8, 2019 were illegitimate and ruled to call for repeat “elections”.
De facto presidential elections in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia will be held on March 22, local media reported based on information released by the region’s “Central Election Commission” today.
The de facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, Raul Khajimba, resigned after a meeting with opposition leader Aslan Bzhania late yesterday which was also attended by Deputy Secretary of Russian Security Council Rashid Nurgaliev.Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Vladislav Surkov also went to Abkhazia following the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry that political unrest in Abkhazia was “an internal issue of the republic.”
De facto Vice President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Aslan Bartsitsi says that Raul Khajimba, who resigned as de facto president of Abkhazia yesterday, will not participate in ‘snap elections’ scheduled in the region on March 22.
Opposition ‘presidential candidate’ in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Aslan Bzhania says that “there must be a dialogue between Tbilisi and Sokhumi.” Bzhania, who will run in the snap ‘presidential elections’ in the region on March 22, told IPN news agency that the format of the dialogue ‘is less important, or whether there will be mediators or not, the most important is that the dialogue brings positive outcomes.’
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that ‘peace and talks” with Georgia's Russian-occupied Abkhazia region are “critically important,” responding to the recent statement of ‘Abkhaz opposition leader’ Aslan Bzhania, who is running in the region’s de facto presidential elections on March 22.
De facto authorities of the Russian occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia have imposed restrictions on the Enguri Bridge, which is the only crossing point connecting the region with the rest of Georgia. The “acting president” of Abkhazia Valeri Bganba advised the locals not to travel out of the region amid the threat of the new coronavirus. Moreover, only Russian citizens will be allowed to enter the region until April 7 inclusive.
De facto presidential candidate in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Aslan Bzhania has been transported to Sochi hospital due to alleged food poisoning ‘in a serious condition,’ Interfax reports.
The de facto opposition in Georgia’s Russian occupied Abkhazia region will demand the postponement of ‘snap presidential elections’ if their candidate Aslan Bzhania will not recover soon.
Russian-controlled occupation forces have erected new barriers and replaced old barbed-wire fences near the village of Khurcha, close to the occupied Abkhazia region of western Georgia, the Georgian State Security Service has reported earlier today.
Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, who previously served as the Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia, has been appointed as the country’s new ambassador to Austria. She served as the Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality since August 2016, and the first deputy minister of the same body before that.
Georgia’s new ambassador to Austria and Vienna-based international organisations, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, has presented her credentials to OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger today. Tsikhelashvili, who previously served as Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, was appointed as ambassador in May.