Parliament Vice Speaker claims “no formal deal” between de facto Abkhazia, Moscow on naval base
Gia Volski, the Georgian Parliament’s Vice Speaker, has responded to the latest claims by the de facto Abkhaz President about a“new agreement” with Moscow on the deployment of a Russian naval base in the coastal city of Ochamchire. Photo: Parliament Speaker’s press office
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Gia Volski, the Georgian Parliament’s Vice Speaker, on Thursday said there was “no formal deal” between Russia and Georgia’s Russian-occupied north-western region of Abkhazia following claims by the de facto President of the region of a “new agreement” with Moscow about the deployment of a Russian naval base in the coastal city of Ochamchire.
Bzhania, who last month visited Russia, told Russia’s Izvestia paper on Thursday the new base would be built in Ochamchire “in the near future”.
In his comments, the Georgian lawmaker claimed the subject of the claim was a “certain formality”, and that the Kremlin “sometimes allowed” the de facto President Aslan Bzhania to “talk to someone at a high level, including the President [Vladimir Putin]”.
He also noted Russia’s goal was to “gather strength” amid its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and retain territories and “strategic facilities” which he said had been “handed over” to Russia by Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Russia is an aggressor and an occupying power, it is one of the sides of the world conflict, therefore you can discuss and evaluate who has brought this misfortune on us”, he told the press.
Volski stressed the Georgian authorities were “obligated” to ensure peace in the country “considering the security threats coming from Russia”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Georgian Government was “successfully implementing” the policy of non-recognition of the country’s Russian-occupied territories by foreign countries, and noted “no statement can prevent us from doing so”.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said the statement of Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chair of the Security Council of Russia, about Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) was a “continuation” of occupation and “another attempt” to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said restoring the territorial integrity of the country was the “main national task” of the Government, in comments over the 31st anniversary of the 1992-1993 war in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday highlighted the Government’s “reasonable and peaceful policy” with regards to the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions of the country and said the vision was “focused on restoring trust” between communities divided by conflicts in the territories, in his message for the 31st anniversary of the 1992-1993 war in the former.
The Georgian foreign office on Thursday said it was “concerned” by Moscow’s plans to deploy a permanent naval military base in the Russian-occupied north-western Abkhazia region’s city of Ochamchire.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday called Russia’s plans to deploy a permanent naval military base in the Russian-occupied north-western Abkhazia region’s city of Ochamchire - a continuation of the occupation.
Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Friday said media reports about alleged plans for a Russian naval military base in Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia were “extremely worrying”.
Peter Stano, the European Union Spokesperson for External Affairs, on Friday said the bloc expressed “strong concern” about Russia’s reported plans to establish a naval military base in Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday said Russia’s “illegal move” to establish a permanent naval military base in the Russian-occupied north-western Abkhazia region’s city of Ochamchire was a “direct threat” to Georgia, its European aspirations, as well as to the Black Sea security.