Deputy Foreign Minister Criticizes ICG Report on Abkhazia
Giga Bokeria, the Georgian deputy foreign minister, said a report by International Crisis Group, saying Tbilisi shared “blame for the escalation” in Abkhazia, as it had been making military preparations, was “unfair” and “incorrect.”
“The Georgian authorities have a responsibility to protect rights of each of its citizen and to protect our sovereignty,” Bokeria said in an interview with the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Georgian service. “The view of any authoritative or less authoritative international organization can be respected, but let me disagree with [the report].”
The report by the Brussels-based think-tank said on June 5 that Georgia remained determined to restore its territorial integrity and hawks in Tbilisi were seriously considering the military option. It, however, also noted that moderates within President Saakashvili’s administration still held the upper hand.
“Not only Georgia is not allowing this conflict to be resolved through use of force, it is sparing no efforts to prevent any developments that may involve scenario of use of force. But it can not happen at the expanse of our sovereignty or our territory. The Georgian voters and the Georgian society have elected this government in order to protect the interests of our country. What we see in recent days [in respect of Russia’s moves in Abkhazia] can not be tolerated by any democratic government,” Bokeria said.
“So putting the issue in this context as it is in that quotation [referring to ‘Tbilisi shares blame’] is just unfair, not precise, unqualified and incorrect,” he continued. “Risks persist and that is why we are undertaking efforts to draw as much international attention [on the matter] as possible to help defuse tensions. These risks are not result of steps undertaken by the Georgian authorities, but they come from those steps, which have been undertaken – especially in recent months – by Moscow.”
