Abkhazia’s proposal meets with Georgia’s refusal

Sukhum/Agency Caucasus – A proposal by the Abkhazian administration that international police forces should be substituted for the Georgian troops deployed in Upper Kodor, a region of Ankhazia, met with refusal from Georgia.

Georgia’s refusal, however, contradicts its recent pressure for the replacement of Russian Peace Forces with the Western peace forces after Russian peace forces were legally allowed to be present along the ceasefire lines under the umbrella of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIF)—permission that was granted to Russia in compliance with the Moscow Treaty of 1994, which was signed after the 1992-1993 war.

The Abkhaz officials submitted their proposal to Irakli Alasaniya, Georgian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2006, or UN, while he was in Sukhum, said Sergei Shamba, President of Abkhazia, thoughhas not responded to it yet. “We should make it part of our official negotiations if agrees to our proposal,” added Bagapsh.

Georgia’s refusal to agree to the replacement of Georgian armed forces deployed inUpper Kodor with international police forces came in a July 21 official statement from Temur Yakobashvili, Georgian Minister of Integration. “If the replacement of Georgian armed forces with international police forces is to be negotiated, negotiations should be focused on Gal and Ochamchira, not onUpper Kodor, a region that is under our control,” he said.

With Georgia’s refusal to agree to Abkhazia’s proposal, the likelihood of Russian peacekeeping forces being driven away from the region has disappeared.  

Georgia sent off its troops toUpper Kodor in 2006 whereas that region should be kept disarmed according to both the Moscow Treaty and UN resolutions. The UN Security Council afterwards approved two resolutions in an act of calling on to demilitarize Kodor. This is the major obstacle to the initiation of negotiations between Abkhazia and Georgia.

KU/ÖZ/FT