Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Aleksander Rusetski: “Direct Links between EU and Abkhazia with a Chain of Threats”

January 25, 2012

News agency “Pirveli”

Aleksander Rusetsky (director of the South Caucasus Institute for Regional Security, Georgia) thinks “building direct links between the EU and Abkhazia has a chain of threats.”

Rusetsky responded to the statement of the Abkhazia’s de-facto prime-minister Leonid Lakerbaia about building direct links between the EU and Abkhazia. Rusetsky thinks “the EU should acknowledge that there are two Abkhazia.”

“The EU policy in regard with conflict-resolution in the Caucasus significantly backwards the political reality. The EU and international organizations should be fully ware that Abkhazian society is divided in two and Mr. Lakerbaia made statement only in the name of one party of it. Any decision, which does not consider the split Abkhazian society, lacks competence and international organizations do not have moral right to conduct similar policy. It will cause even more failure of the Western orientation,” said Rusetsky.

He thinks the international community has already made similar mistake in regard with Tskhinvali when foundations invested huge sums there and unequally distributed funds. “Since only Tskhinvali received investments and launched various projects without participation of the surrounding Georgian and Ossetian villages, the situation resulted into complete misbalance.”

“The dialogue between the parties of the split society did not achieve any goals because the project did not have similar goals. They had different goal – weakening of the Russian influence. Of course, Russian Special Forces easily detected the threat. So, if before, the EU programs even reached Vladikavkaz, now we see that the Monitoring Mission cannot even enter the Tskhinvali region. The role of the EU in the conflict resolution shall be mediation. The same Philip Lefor should clarify to secessionist part of Abkhazian society that EU programs will be implemented and funds will be invested in Abkhazia only if both parties of the split Abkhazia – secessionist (seeking break-away) and unionist (against break-away) involve the programs together,” said Rusetsky and added “everything else will be a political speculation from Europe.”

“If Lakerbaia meant residents of Abkhazia when speaking about “Abkhaz people”, Lakerbaia represents the opinion of a small group of Abkhaz society living in the conditions of military occupation; but if he meant ethnic Abkhaz people, it is even worse. That means, he made racist-chauvinist statement and it should be properly responded. In any case, I would like to suggest him to seek partners and friends first among IDP population, because his security and future of Abkhazia depends on the IDPs and in near future everybody will see it,” said Rusetsky and added “The EU should not support spread and introduction of ethno-centrist phraseology.”

We kindly remind you that Abkhazia’s de-facto Prime Minister Leonid Lakerbaia said “we should build trust between the EU and Abkhazia instead Georgian and Abkhazian peoples.”

On January 24, Lakerbaia met EU Special Representative for South Caucasus and Crisis in Georgia Philip Lefor.

After the meeting, Philip Lefor said he visited Abkhazia not only as an EU Special Representative but as a co-chairman of the Geneva Discussions.

“We spoke about dynamics of Geneva Discussions and about the ways to implement EU programs in the region. Despite different approaches of the EU and Abkhazia, we had a very open and friendly dialogue,” said Lefor.

Lakerbaia said, “we discussed a series of issues on the meeting which are related with the Geneva format and initiatives suggested by the EU.” He thinks “we should build trust between the EU and Abkhazia instead Georgian and Abkhazian peoples.”

News