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Marking the War Anniversary
Georgia marked the anniversary of Abkhazia's war Monday. Led by the State Council’s chief Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgian troops set foot on Abkhazia's soil 14 years ago, on August 14, 1992.
That war ended September 1993 by the sound defeat of Georgia. “Policymakers failed to prevent the start of the war 14 years ago,” Malhaz Akishbaia, who heads the government of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, said when laying wreathes on memorial to the victims of the war fought for territorial integrity of Georgia. “The only way is reconciling and creating conditions for the joint existance.”
There are two governments in Abkhazia now, the government of the breakaway Abkhazia and pro-Georgian government of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
Temur Mzhavia, who leads Supreme Council of the Autonomy, was more explicit. Predictably, the official put all blame on Abkhazia. “Don’t forget there was July 23 before August 14, when the separatists openly proclaimed pulling out of Georgia, despite the international laws and the will of the better part of Abkhazian nation expressed at the referendum of March 31, 1991. The referendum related to Georgia’s independence and was also held on the territory of Abkhazia.”
Meanwhile Ruslan Kishmaria, envoy of Abkhazia’s president to the Galsky region and to negotiations with Georgia, warned the latter may soon launch large-scale combat operations against Abkhazia. The government and the nation of Abkhazia stand ready to rebut any attack of Georgia, Kishmaria vowed, emphasizing the troops of Abkhazia are armed much better than 14 years ago. “But the main thing is not the armaments, but the motivation,” Kishmaria said. “We will fight for the motherland, while the Georgians will do it for the so-called territorial integrity, which doesn’t exist for 15 years already.” Kishmaria made this statement in Sukhumi, which is the capital of Abkhazia and whereabouts of another government that doesn’t recognize the autonomy status of the republic.
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