The de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region on Monday urged Georgian politicians to focus on “re-establishing diplomatic relations with Russia, instead of using Georgia’s territorial integrity” as a talking point in their pre-election campaigns.
The comments come in response to recent remarks made by Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, who on Sunday praised a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who expressed Moscow’s willingness to “mediate the normalization of relations between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia”.
“We would like to remind Georgian politicians that Georgia itself should regulate its relations with Russia,” the de facto Abkhaz Foreign Ministry said. “There are currently no diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia. Therefore, instead of speculating on unrealistic stereotypes about ‘Georgia’s territorial integrity’ and other mythical terms during the pre-election race, Georgian politicians should start by establishing diplomatic relations with Russia.”
The statement from the de facto Abkhaz authorities added that any potential diplomatic progress between Abkhazia and Georgia would require Tbilisi to “formally recognize” Abkhazia as a “sovereign, independent state”. Furthermore, they called for the signing of a “legally binding agreement on the non-use of force between the two sides”, suggesting that such steps could pave the way for future relations.
Kaladze’s earlier comments came after Lavrov, during a press conference following the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, said that Moscow was ready to assist Georgia, Abkhazia, and another occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) in “normalizing their relations if the parties themselves express an interest”. Lavrov emphasized the importance of “neighborly” relations between the territories and noted that peaceful contacts were inevitable.
“The current leadership of Georgia simply appreciates the past sincerely,” Lavrov said at the time. “We want historical reconciliation, and how that reconciliation will take shape should be decided by the countries themselves – both in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They are neighbors of Georgia; some contacts between them are inevitable.”
Lavrov’s remarks were welcomed by Kaladze, who said that one of Georgian Dream’s primary goals was to restore the country’s territorial integrity through peaceful negotiations. “The statement by Lavrov is positively evaluated by our authorities – that Russia welcomes and supports reconciliation is good,” Kaladze noted.
The issue of Georgia’s territorial integrity, particularly regarding the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, remains a critical and highly sensitive topic in the country. The war between Russia and Georgia in 2008 resulted in the loss of these territories, with Russia formally recognizing their independence shortly thereafter—a recognition that Georgia, along with most of the international community, refuses to accept.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling party, has also weighed in on the issue ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 26. In a recent speech, Ivanishvili reiterated his party’s commitment to restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity and moving towards a constitutional arrangement that would support this aim. He also emphasized the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the 2008 conflict, describing it as a crucial step toward reconciliation with Abkhaz and Ossetian communities.
