Abkhaz MP's warning of decline in Russia ties sparks government reaction
One of Abkhazia‘s opposition leaders and a member of parliament, Kan Kvarchia, said relations between Abkhazia and Russia are regressing. “That is his personal opinion!” the republic’s leadership responded almost immediately.
Kvarchia’s own relationship with Russia has been strained for some time. He first lost his Russian citizenship. More recently, a Russian court sentenced him in absentia to 10.5 years in prison on charges related to the alleged armed attack on Russian political consultants.
Kvarchia made the remarks during a press conference he called to discuss the court ruling.
Kvarchia described the court ruling as a “dangerous precedent” that could negatively affect relations between Sukhum and Moscow.
“This cannot have a positive impact on relations between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation. The most important point is that I am a citizen of Abkhazia. Yet a Russian court is somehow trying me for actions I allegedly committed as an Abkhaz citizen on the territory of Abkhazia. That is an absolute absurdity,” Kvarchia said.
The MP also criticised the lack of an official response from the Abkhaz leadership. He warned that such silence could have serious consequences for the republic’s sovereignty.
Kvarchia stressed that Abkhazia must maintain friendly relations with Russia. In his view, bilateral ties received a strong positive boost after Vladimir Putin came to power. However, he argued that the relationship is now experiencing a period of decline.
He also said foreign policy should not rely on rigid formulas.
“Relations must be built on mutual respect. When one side benefits at the expense of the other’s views, that is not cooperation. We are always ready to extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood. But no one should impose their vision on us — the Abkhaz people have their own view of things.”
Abkhaz leader Badra Gunba quickly responded to the opposition politician’s remarks.
“The people of Abkhazia value their allied relationship with the Russian Federation, which rests on mutual respect, trust and shared interests. The leadership of the Republic of Abkhazia will continue to pursue a policy aimed at strengthening friendly and strategic relations with Russia,” he said.
Vice-President Beslan Bigvava expressed an even stronger position:
“Russia has been and remains the strategic and, frankly, the only ally of the Republic of Abkhazia. I firmly believe that any statements or actions capable of casting a shadow over the allied relationship between Abkhazia and Russia are unacceptable and do not serve our country’s national interests.”
Parliament Speaker Lasha Ashuba also stressed that Kan Kvarchia’s criticism of Abkhaz-Russian relations reflected “the opinion of an individual MP”.
“The Parliament of Abkhazia does not question the enduring nature of Abkhaz-Russian relations. We intend to continue working together to strengthen these ties for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
Prominent public figure Akhra Bzhania, for his part, described the authorities’ reaction as a sign of “political dependence”. In his view, officials panicked at the prospect that silence might lead the Russian side to interpret their position as agreement with the MP’s remarks. At the same time, he argued, the government remains silent when actions taken by the Kremlin harm the interests of Abkhazia and Abkhaz society.
“But if anyone thinks that this emergency condemnation will protect the level of friendly relations between Russia and Abkhazia, they are deeply mistaken. It will bring nothing except damage to [Abkhazia’s] credibility,” Bzhania said.
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In Abkhaz-Russian relations
