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Abkhazia won’t beg anyone to recognize it – Abkhazian President
Published: 17 February, 2010, 08:43
Edited: 18 February, 2010, 06:51
TAGS: Breakaway regions, Conflict, Georgia, Russia
Abkhazian President Sergey Bagapsh paid an official visit to Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Bagapsh and Medvedev are set to have talks with the participation of official delegation members on Wednesday, February 17.
On August 26, 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing Abkhazia. It followed Georgia's attack against another Caucuses republic, South Ossetia.
The republic was also recognized by Venezuela, Nicaragua and the tiny Republic of Nauru, the world's smallest island nation, in the South Pacific.
However the Georgian government and most of the world powers still consider Abkhazia part of Georgia's territory.
According to Bagapsh, although his republic continues to strive for its recognition, “it’s not going to beg anyone to recognize it.”
Highlights of Bagapsh's speech at the Moscow State University for International Relations
“We are going to establish our political situation in the country, our economy and further development, in a way that would leave no questions about whether to recognize us or not,” the Abkhazian President said.
On September 17, 2008 in Moscow, Medvedev and Bagapsh signed a treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance which laid the foundation for long-term cooperation.
And in September 2009, the sides signed an agreement on military cooperation. In line with that document, Russia has the opportunity to build, use and update military infrastructure and military bases in Abkhazia as well as set up a joint group of forces for times of both war and peace.
Bagapsh said his country can’t allow ethnic Georgian refugees to return from Georgia, as it may lead to war. He also noted that his country will not cooperate with Georgia’s current government.
“We are open to a dialogue with any state,” Bagapsh said. “But I want to underline it straight away, any cooperation, dialogue or economic relations with the current Georgian administration is out of the question.”
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26 comments
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Abkhazia should be recognized by one and all. It is a de facto independent state, the mass majority of its citizens want to be independent of Georgia, and therefore it is in the greater interests of regional stability and felicity for it to be recognized as its own country. Bianca makes a number of very decent points about Kosovo, though frankly I don't care about the history. I care about whatever serves the greater humanitarian interest, to which end law and order can be relevant and land rights have a limited self-life when inhabitants change (a man who was not stolen from should not receive compensation from a man who did not steal, even if 2 or 3 generations ago thievery took place between their ancestors; the sins of the father are not those of the child). According to Gallup polls, in 2008 93% of Kosovo Albanians thought independence was a good thing, and in 2009 75% did. In contrast, 80% Kosovo Serbs have thought it was a bad thing during both years. Most of the decline in Albanian optimism has been eaten up by the "don't know/refused" poll choice. Albanians make up 80% of the population and Serbians make up 9%. "almost half (48%) of Kosovo Albanians said things in the country were going in a good direction. Hardly any Kosovo Serbs agreed that the country was going in a good direction (2% vs. 86% who disagreed). The proportion of Kosovo Albanians who said the country was going in a good direction is among the highest in the Western Balkan region...Croatia (8%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (16%), and Serbia (21%)." One gets the impression that the Albanians overestimated the benefits of independence, and still do; often people are fooled into thinking solving long standing problems is as easy as changing governments when in reality, while better governance can redirect things towards a better direction, such problems usually require a lot of time and/or sacrifice to solve. People however are impatient and needy.
This article raises a very interesting question. What makes a country trully independent, and what processes lead to it. I am reminded of a stark comparison between Abkahazia and South Ossetia and Kosovo. Abkhazia and South Ossetia had a legal right to referendum and seccession under the Soviet law of seccession, the same law that Georgia used to declare, and be granted, its independence. Georgia did not allow these two entities that have the history of independence prior to Stalin, to have a legally mandated referendum. Compare that to Kosovo. It never had any independance from Serbia, and was the cradle of Serbian nation and religion. Hundreds of monasteries, churches, and church lands cover Kosovo and Metohia. In fact, Metohia litterally means church land. Turks conquered Serbia in the battle of Kosovo in 1389. The history of province is central to history of Serbia, and no treaties ever existed in its history that would support independence. So far, the two are as different as it gets. When after illegal NATO bombing UN established peace under Resolution 1244, for nine years the province was legally part of Serbia. Then, out of blue, NATO and EU countries recognized "independent" state. This state has no economy, no judiciary, and the final authority over parliaments decision rests with --- NATO! EULEX judges and prosecutors were brought in last year to ATTEMPT to impose a legal system on lawless province. So, without control of its territory, without economy, justice system or suvereign authority, this is a COUNTRY recognized by the West? Abkazia and South Ossetia look like a heaven in comparison to the crime ridden Kosovo. And look how many countries recognized Kosovo? Those who resisted the pressure to recognize, are the ones that will escape the humiliation that Kosovo is. A tiny NATO outpost, with the biggest asset, US base Camp Bondsteel. My, my. Where is the international law?
The first step has been taken by Abkhazia, and that was to be recognized by Russia and secure Russia's protection and support. International recognition is a secondary objective.