Daur Kove: The Republic of Abkhazia is set for an equal and mutually respectful dialogue

The international conference "10 Years of Recognition: Results and Prospects" is being held in Sukhum.

Sukhum. 22 August. Apsnypress. At the Plenary meeting of the International Conference "10 Years of Recognition: Results and Prospects" spoke Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Daur Kove.
   
 In particular, the Minister said: "The coming 10th anniversary of the International Recognition of the Independence of the Republic of Abkhazia is an important milestone that allows us to sum up the most significant results, share our thoughts, emerging ideas and, of course, identify priority tasks for the near future. 

 We will celebrate the anniversary of the recognition of Abkhazia by Russia, as the most important historical date, which has become firmly established as an integral part of world history. At the same time, this event happened before our eyes, we were all witnesses to it and, to some extent, participants. We all remember the day of August 26, 2008, these joyful moments, unforgettable moments of jubilation of our people and sincere gratitude to the leadership of Russia, which every resident of the country experienced that day.
 
 It is no exaggeration to say that with the recognition of independence a qualitatively new stage in the state development of the Republic of Abkhazia has come. For the first time in post-war history, we have the opportunity of peaceful existence. Our country has obtained reliable guarantees of security from a great power - the Russian Federation. This most important condition allowed our state to direct its main efforts to the development and modernization of the economy, the social sphere and other key areas. Russia continues to provide significant financial support to Abkhazia, thanks to which the capabilities of our state have multiplied. At the same time, the Abkhaz state managed to demonstrate that it has its own potential for social and economic development and confident progress.
  
 The past 10th anniversary was the time of building a solid legal basis for Abkhaz-Russian interstate relations. We step by step went to a comprehensive, full-scale level of bilateral interaction. To date, there probably is not a single area where Abkhazia and Russia are not actively interacting. More than 130 agreements have been signed between our countries. Regular intensive contacts are carried out through the foreign policy departments of the two countries. The mechanism of foreign policy coordination that we are implementing allows us to compare positions on key international problems and effectively achieve the set tasks.
   
 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to the consistent implementation of the main directions of the foreign policy of the Republic of Abkhazia. One of such directions is promotion of wide international recognition of the Abkhazian state. Its implementation presupposes a large-scale, multifaceted work, accumulating efforts not only of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also of other state departments. Nevertheless, the main burden is undoubtedly assigned to the foreign policy department.
 
 Work to expand the number of countries that have recognized the sovereignty of Abkhazia is being carried out in all possible directions and practically in all regions of the world. Due to various reasons, not always in our work we achieve concrete, tangible results. But still, the efforts we are making are paying off.
   
 As you know, this year the Syrian Arab Republic joined the countries that recognized the Republic of Abkhazia. This is indeed a significant event for us. Syria is a country with which Abkhazia is linked by historical and cultural ties, above all, of course, through the Abkhaz-Adygeian diaspora living there. This event was preceded by serious work of the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry, other departments and structures of Abkhazia. Today we are working on the issues of organizing an official meeting of the presidents of Abkhazia and Syria, preparing for signing the basic documents that will regulate the main aspects of cooperation between our states. Our countries have considerable potential for building mutually beneficial interstate relations, and we have already started laying the foundation for these relations.
  
 I would like to particularly note that work to expand international recognition of Abkhazia's independence will continue despite all the obstacles that exist. You know perfectly well what this is all about, but you have to talk about it again and again, because this is a reality that we have to reckon with: we are working in the face of a very unfavorable international situation, growing tension and confrontation in international relations. All this is exacerbated by Georgia's actively pursuing a policy of international isolation of Abkhazia. And this policy is doing some damage to our interests. Almost all of us in varying degrees, encountered various kinds of restrictions and obstacles that are initiated by the Georgian authorities or implemented from their submission. But even so, we are trying to find opportunities to help our citizens in such a situation in every possible way.

  At the same time, we are working to establish primary contacts in various regions of the world. In this connection, in the context of establishing international contacts, the European dimension of our foreign policy should be noted. Over the past two years, we have intensified our contacts in selected European countries. In 2017, trips were made to France and Italy. Especially fruitful are the contacts with Italy, where last year as we already reported, the registration of an organization called "Diplomatic representation of the Republic of Abkhazia in Italy and part-time in the EU countries" was held.
   
 Abkhazia continues to intensively develop relations with countries that have recognized its state sovereignty. We consistently saturate bilateral relations with concrete content, in particular, with Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Nauru. We also have positive dynamics in relations with the sister republics of South Ossetia, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the Republic of Artsakh. 
 
At the center of our attention, of course, is the already mentioned problem of the international isolation of Abkhazia and its citizens. We are constantly confronted with a policy of double standards by the so-called countries-friends of Georgia. Striving to reverse this negative trend, and also opposing the Georgian side in its quest to fill the information space with its politicized propaganda products, we are looking for new channels of access to the international audience, using the resources of foreign media for the promotion of the Republic of Abkhazia. We raise this issue, in particular, at the Geneva international discussions.
   
 It must be clearly understood that any constructive dialogue should presume honesty, openness and equality. It must be free of double standards. The Republic of Abkhazia is committed to an equal and mutually respectful dialogue. Only such an approach can promote mutual trust and development of international contacts. "