Irakli Khintba: ‘No country will tolerate to be treated disparagingly and even at times offensively. We demand to respect Abkhazia.’

Republic of Abkhazia Deputy Foreign Minister I.R. Khintba’s interview to the news agency ApsnyPress.

Apsnypress: Irakli Revazovich, I would like to clarify once more, what has caused the Abkhaz side to declare the head of the EU Mission in Georgia, Andrzej Tyszkiewicz, persona non grata on  the Abkhaz territory?

Irakli Khintba: The Abkhaz side considers it important to continue a constructive dialogue in the format of the Geneva Discussions and the Mechanism for Prevention and Response to Incidents. We have always been prepared even for  an uncompromising character of the talk that at times  the Georgian participants  imposed.  But when this process is being frankly sabotaged, however, a proper reaction is needed. Unfortunately Mr. Tyszkiewicz was clearly not disposed towards a constructive communication with us. He is an experienced army officer, but one needs quite different qualities for   settling dialogue at the Caucasus. No country will tolerate to be treated disparagingly and even at times offensively. We demand to respect Abkhazia.

AP:  Georgian authorities are trying to present the Abkhaz statement as an attack against the European Union...

Irakli Khintba: I am stressing that our statement has been directed not against the EU Monitoring Mission as an institution, but against the concrete person who heads it. I would advise those people who very much want to give a wrong interpretation of the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry statement, to read it carefully. But you agree that if Mr. Tyszkiewicz is displaced from his present position it does not mean that the EUMM will cease activities. We remember his predecessor Mr. Haber, who did not share our political position, but all the same was a discerning diplomat who understood perfectly the extent of responsibility for every incautious word or action in the context of an unresolved conflict. For that reason we have nothing against the EUMM continuing its activities on the territories bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia as envisaged in the Medvedev-Sarkozy Plan. The main thing is that the EUMM’s activities should in practice promote strengthening security and stability in the region. It is obvious that it will not happen if the EUMM leadership serves the interests of Tbilisi authorities instead of acting strictly in accordance with the Mission’s mandate.

AP: Does it mean that without Tyszkiewicz it is impossible to continue meetings in the Incident Prevention format?

Irakli Khintba: We would not like the mechanism to stop working because of this reason. If for Georgia and the EU is on principle the participation of just Tyszkiewicz personally, rather than another EUMM representative, we can only lift our hands. Our position with regard to Tyszkiewicz is definitive and final. I think that personnel changes within the leadership of the EUMM could have a positive effect on resolving the current situation.

AP: In Tbilisi they immediately saw “Moscow’s hand” behind the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry statement. The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a special statement about “Moscow’s responsibility.” How would you comment on that statement?

Irakli Khintba: I would call such interpretations a demonstration of political vulgarity. I think it is time for our Georgian colleagues to abandon such outdated and boring clichés and at last to face up to reality. It was not the Russians who were the first to learn about the impending Abkhaz decision, but the co-chairmen of the Geneva discussions. As for the Georgian Foreign Ministry statement, there is no point commenting on it because it is addressed to Russia. I would like again to express my sincere amazement at the persistence with which the Tbilisi authorities keep trying to convince the world and themselves in the first instance, that Abkhazia is incapable of taking either internal or foreign policy decisions independently. 

I think that if the Georgian side continues to adhere to this line we shall have to act the same way:  to ignore the Georgian authorities and address directly to Washington on issues concerning Georgia. After all, it is perfectly clear that if we are talking about the external dependence, Georgia, compared with Abkhazia is in an absolutely losing position.

AP: Georgian Security Council Secretary G. Bokeria particularly distinguished himself by describing the step of the MFA of Abkhazia as “an open, insolent attempt on the part of the Russian Federation and its puppets…”

Irakli Khintba: In fact, we have got used to  coarse and boorish outbursts of Tbilisi government representative Mr. Bokeria and we pay no attention to them. But since you ask, I will tell you my personal opinion. Mr. Bokeria is a well-known and influential figure in Georgia. I have the impression that in order to preserve the image of his country to some extent intelligent and in the interests of strengthening peace and stability in the region he should less speak on foreign policy issues. Trying to resolve complex and delicate issues of relations with Abkhazia and other neighboring countries by using an axe and a sledge-hammer evidently is not the best approach.

AP: The authorities in Tbilisi have viciously criticized the opposition leader Irakli Alasania for stating that informal armed groups have been formed in Zugdidi district, as the MFA of Abkhazia mentioned in its statement…

Irakli Khintba: Yes, I have to admit that the Tbilisi authorities used our statement in order to inflict a further blow on the opposition. They always blame either Russia or the "treacherous opposition". The only thing I can say in this regard - is that neither Western backers of Saakashvili, nor the people of Georgia today, do not benefit from the consolidation of authoritarian police regime in this country, as well as what kind of policy Saakashvili's government holds today in respect of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

AP: Do you plan to continue engagement with Europe?

Irakli Khintba: The relevant position was clearly stated by the President of Abkhazia Alexander Ankvab. We are disappointed by the absence of visible progress in relations with the European structures, but in the case of obvious profit from this communication, we are ready to continue, but with an important condition: the interaction with the EU should not go through Tbilisi.

AP: Are there any political reserves for developing  a more productive inter-action with the European Union?

Irakli Khintba: I will point out  that we have established a positive diplomatic engagement with the regional office of the EU in South Caucasus and its head, Mr. Lefort, while the Abkhaz civil society - with a number of European non-governmental organizations. I consider on the whole recent statements of the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Katherine Ashton and co-chairmen of the Geneva discussions are quite balanced. I am sure that in any situation there is always a way out. However, I strongly disagree with some headlines in the media - for example, "Abkhazia has driven on Europe." Is Mr. Tyszkiewicz  really  a personification  of  the EU and all the more  with the whole Europe? If somebody in Georgia is irresponsibly trying to present our actions as an attack against the European Union, then we put the full responsibility on Tbilisi government for a possible reduction of the participation of European organizations in the settlement of the conflict.

That, by the way, is completely in line with Georgia’s isolationist policy which just by the word of mouth stands for the idea of strengthening the EU position in Abkhazia while in fact does everything to isolate Abkhazia from the outside world.It is strange that for Georgia's Western patrons it does not yet become apparent. I think  the EU and the U.S. should seriously think about the level of competence and loyalty of its representatives in Georgia, which apparently being under the influence of the authorities in Tbilisi,  sent  to their  capitals  wrong information about what is happening in the region.