Georgian MFA: Abkhaz Portion of Maritime Border Closed
The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on June 28 reiterating that the Abkhaz portion of the maritime border remains closed for all forms of maritime traffic and that Tbilisi can not guarantee security of those tourists willing to travel in breakaway Abkhazia, as the latter remains out of the Georgian authorities control.
This statement of the Georgian Foreign Ministry comes in the wake of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement issued on June 22 in which Moscow expressed concern regarding the Tbilisi’s decision to close Abkhaz portion of the maritime border.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry stated that this measure was enforced in an attempt to prevent “movement of fighters, arms and drug trafficking, as well as smuggling” and does not aim at “blockading” Abkhazia.
President Saakashvili issued a decree instructing the Georgian coast guard to close Abkhaz portion of the maritime borders last August. The Abkhaz side pulled out from peace talks after the Georgian coast guard opened fire last August to a Turkish vessel en route to Abkhazia.
“We should remember that attempts to enforce a de facto maritime blockade of Abkhazia in the summer of last year led to a spike in tension in this region and a stoppage of the peace process, which has been restored only in the last few months,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on June 22.
