"Georgia clearly concedes Abkhazia to Russia" Commentary.

Georgia concedes Abkhazia to Russia

Conflictologist Paata Zakareishvili commented on what is happening in Abkhazia during the program “360 Degrees.” According to him, Russia is economically annexing Abkhazia, and the silence of the Georgian government is “concerning,” as Georgia is clearly ceding Abkhazia to Russia.

• What is happening in Abkhazia and why

  

  A mass protest began in Abkhazia on the morning of November 15, demanding the revocation of an agreement on Russian investments from Parliament. The opposition and the majority of society view the deal as exploitative for Abkhazia, mockingly referring to it as “benefits for oligarchs.” The protest culminated in the seizure of the presidential administration building and a call for the resignation of President Aslan Bzhaniya, a demand to which he had yet to agree at the time.

  The agreement stipulates that: (1) Russian investors will be exempt from customs duties on the import of construction materials and equipment, as well as from paying property taxes and corporate profit taxes for a period of eight years; (2) the value-added tax for investors will be set at only five percent—half the normal rate; (3) the Abkhaz government is required to provide these investors, listed in a special registry, with energy resources and preferential access to infrastructure networks and utilities; and (4) the investor has the right to pledge land, provided by the Abkhaz government, as collateral to a bank. Therefore, if something were to happen to the investor, the bank could seize the “state” land.

  Opponents of the agreement argue that it will deliver a fatal blow to local businesses, which will be unable to compete with Russian enterprises under such terms. Furthermore, they contend that the deal poses a threat to the security of Abkhazia.

Commentary

Paata Zakareishvili: Over the past year, there has been constant tension in occupied Abkhazia, mainly related to the economic annexation of Abkhazia by Russia.

I use the term ‘annexation’ because Russia is seeking to gain control over the region’s levers of power.

This process has gone through various stages, especially, in light of the situation in Pitsunda, which remains unresolved. This protest could turn everything upside down.

Following that, a cascade of other issues emerged, with the apartment problem being especially prominent. This issue was rejected by Abkhaz society, including its political leaders.

Then, Russia proposed a project regarding apartments, which involved the following: since property in Abkhazia is only available to its citizens, Russia planned to build homes at its own expense and sell the apartments.

Those who purchased them would become the owners. In ten years, this could result in about 110,000 Russian citizens settling in Abkhazia.

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Under Russian law, decisions made by Russian courts are valid in Abkhazia, and Abkhazia had to accept this. The latest stage in this process occurred a few weeks ago when the de facto Minister of Economy signed an investment agreement, which sparked a wave of protests when the agreement was set to be ratified.

Two days ago, the situation escalated to the point where authorities violently arrested two former lawmakers. These arrests triggered widespread outrage, and protesters blocked the entire city of Sukhumi. Today, a large crowd gathered in front of the parliament building.

Negotiations are currently underway with Aslan Bzhania, and he may resign. The only topic of these negotiations is his resignation and the discussion of who could temporarily replace him.

I am certain that the “Georgian Dream” will not react in any way to the events unfolding in Abkhazia. The most disgraceful moment was when Lukashenko visited, expressly because of his dacha in Pitsunda, and [Georgian Prime Minister] Irakli Kobakhidze made the shameful comment: “So what, he was just traveling along the Black Sea coast.”

In this way, he mocked all of us. This silence [from the authorities] is worrying because it is clear that Georgia is conceding Abkhazia to Russia. This is likely the price the “Georgian Dream” must pay to maintain power with Russia’s support.

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The proposal was made during a round of Geneva discussions and is based on statements from the Georgian authorities

Georgia concedes Abkhazia to Russia