Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia on NATO exercises in Georgia: stake on resolving existing conflicts exclusively by force

Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Sukhum. August 8. Apsnypress. In connection with the 10th anniversary of the Georgian armed aggression, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia considers it necessary to state the following.
 
 "We regret to state that the Georgian leadership did not draw any conclusions from the tragic events of a decade ago, which were vividly demonstrated by the cynical face of Georgian politics. Instead of drawing the right lessons from the past and in practice starting to restore confidence with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Georgian side has been systematically continuing to implement a destructive isolation strategy towards two independent republics aimed at erecting artificial obstacles for the citizens of our countries over the past years. 

 Moreover, the continuous increase in the military potential of Georgia, which occurs with the direct assistance of Western countries, is a serious concern. Apparently, the Georgian authorities together with their foreign patrons seriously intend to destabilize the already difficult situation in the region with unsettled ethnic conflicts.

 A striking proof of this is the regular large-scale NATO military exercises taking place in Georgia, which cause serious concern and are capable of destroying the fragile bases of peace and stability in the South Caucasus. All these events indicate that the Georgian authorities and their Western patrons continue to rely on resolving existing conflicts exclusively by force. Obviously, in this context it is not necessary to talk about the process of improving the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian relations.
 
 At the same time, the Georgian side is trying in every possible way to introduce the minds of the representatives of the international community with the mythical thesis about the "Russian threat" and the "occupied territories," which, in view of the strategic nature of our relations with the Russian Federation, in no way corresponds to the real state of affairs in the region. In fact, the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia have long been established as sovereign states, which in practice have proved their viability and are building their own line of conduct on the international arena.
 
In the light of the foregoing, the Abkhaz side appeals to the Georgian authorities to "abandon the policy of escalating tension in the South Caucasus, commit themselves to the non-use of military force and recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia."