Reports: Abkhaz Officials at Odds over Tbilisi-Based Diplomats’ Visits

Officials within the breakaway Abkhaz authorities are at odds over whether Sokhumi should accept Tbilisi-based diplomats willing to travel to the region, the Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported on January 29.

According to Apsnipress, there have been “differing opinions” among the Abkhaz leaderships on the matter, with Vice-President, Raul Khajimba, and Secretary of National Security Council, Stanislav Lakoba, saying that it is “unreasonable” to host those foreign diplomats in Sokhumi, whose countries have not recognized Abkhazia. Only Russia and Nicaragua have recognized South Ossetia’s and Abkhazia’s independence. Georgia cut diplomatic ties with both of them.

German ambassador to Georgia, Patricia Flor, and the Czech ambassador to Georgia, Ivan Jestrab, intended to visit Sokhumi earlier this week, but the trip was canceled.

Kristian Bzhania, a spokesman for the Abkhaz leader, said the visit was canceled because of “technical problems,” Apsnipress reported.

And according to the German embassy in Tbilisi the visit was canceled because of “bad weather conditions.” “Ambassador Flor is willing to arrange the visit Sokhumi,” a spokesperson of the German embassy told Civil.Ge; she, however, also said it was not known for now when the visit would be arranged.

The Abkhaz leader’s spokesman told Apsnipress that Sergey Bagapsh wanted to thank the German ambassador in her role as a coordinator of UN Group of Friends on Georgia, for the efforts undertaken for the peace in the region.

He also said that Bagapsh agreed to accept the western diplomats, because UN mission’s mandate was still in force. The mission’s mandate expires on February 15.

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