Abkhazia's Union of Journalists' head proposes to legalize Georgian-Abkhaz trade

Abkhazia’s Journalists’ Union proposes legalizing trade with Georgia

Ruslan Khashig is in favor of intensifying the Georgian-Abkhaz negotiation process and opening transport communications. The head of the Union of Journalists of Abkhazia expressed his position on this issue at a meeting of the Public Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic.

“I am worried about our position after the recognition [of the independence of Abkhazia by Russia]. There is a feeling that Georgia does not exist at all. Meanwhile, we have rich experience in negotiating with it, as with a party to the conflict. At the Geneva discussions, Abkhazia is only an observer. This format, reached within the framework of the agreements between Medvedev and Sarkozy, rather reflects the position of Russia. But we must have our own position, especially in the Caucasus, where new conditions and formats of relations with countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia may arise”, Ruslan Khashig believes.

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One of the promising options for this kind of cooperation in the South Caucasus, he considers the idea of ​​organizing a large transport corridor in the region. And now, in the context of the sanctions imposed against Russia, it looks quite feasible.

“We need to talk about this and, in the end, determine the position of Abkhazia on this issue”, said the chairman of the Union of Journalists.

Khashig believes that the authorities of Abkhazia should strive for the abolition of the Georgian law “On the occupied territories” and respond to the latest statements by Georgian officials. In particular, to the recent statement of the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili who said that Georgia is not going to open a “second front” against Abkhazia and South Ossetia to ‘please’ Ukraine.

According to Khashig, it is necessary to legalize trade with Georgia and formalize goods through the customs service. The position that pretends that this problem does not exist causes great damage to the economy of Abkhazia.

In his speech, Khashig spoke about the importance of Abkhazia’s cooperation not only with Georgia but also with various international structures.

“Abkhazia has extensive experience of interaction with many international non-governmental organizations. All the projects they propose have always been discussed, in particular, both at the level of the Foreign Ministry and, if necessary, at the level of the president. The country should not deprive itself of UN-level projects. It is impossible to cut off possible partners in humanitarian areas: language, medicine, agriculture, and ecology. Why are we afraid and isolated? The openness of the Abkhaz society has always been the strongest factor in our influence on relations with the world. In the nineties, we brought Georgian journalists to us to dispel many of the fakes on the spot, and the first president of Abkhazia, Vladislav Ardzinba, often gave interviews to Georgian journalists. Thus, we conveyed our innocence to the Georgian society”, said the head of the Union of Journalists of the Republic. He believes that it is necessary to create conditions under which Abkhazia will become interesting to the world. “For this, it is necessary to implement large international projects in culture, ecology, ethnography, and sports within the country”.

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