Georgian NGOs Outline Preconditions for Abkhazia Talks
Representatives from those civil society organizations which have been actively engaged in so called public diplomacy with their Abkhaz counterparts over the past decade sent an open letter to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on January 6, outlining what they see as necessary preconditions for launching “constructive talks” with the Abkhaz side.
The open letter lists four principles which should be recognized by the Georgian government as cornerstones for Tbilisi’s Abkhazian policy:
- Recognition of a peaceful means of conflict settlement as the only way to solve the problem and full rejection of military rhetoric. The experts say the current official formula, which grants priority to peaceful means but does not exclude the use of force if these means should fail, “reinforces the perception of a threat” in Abkhazia;
- The Georgian side should assess the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict – its start, development and aftermath. The experts say the assessment should concentrate on the responsibility of the Gerogian side, claiming that “this assessment should be objective and free of any kind of patriotic rhetoric.”
- The Georgian side should offer the Abkhaz side talks on a parity basis. The Georgian side should treat the Abkhaz side as an equal, in order “to transform the conflict resolution into a ‘win-win’ option.”
- The Georgian side should lift economic sanctions against Abkhazia and begin restoration of the railway link, in conjunction with invest in the region’s economy and infrastructure.
“We deeply believe that in the event that these preconditions are implemented, a trust will emerge between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides that will help launch constructive talks over a state arrangement,” the open letter reads.
The open letter is signed by 16 representatives of various non-governmental organizations, including the Caucasus House, Open Society Institute – Georgia Foundation, Studio Re and Caucasian Dialogue Foundation, as well as by separate individuals.
