RA MFA: Abkhazia is not a party to the Association Agreement with the EU and did not even express a desire to conclude it

Commentary by the RA MFA.

 Sukhum. November 13. Apsnypress.  “The European Parliament has prepared a draft resolution containing a call on the Georgian authorities to“ extend the benefits ”of the Association Agreement with the EU to residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The EP calls upon the Georgian authorities to make further efforts to overcome the existing obstacles and try to spread the benefits of the Association Agreement and the deep and comprehensive free trade zone to the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
   
 In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia considers it necessary to note the following:
   
 “The Republic of Abkhazia is not a party to the Association Agreement with the EU and did not even express a desire to conclude it. Accordingly, the Republic of Abkhazia can in no way be subject to this Agreement, which has no legal force on its territory.
   
 In view of the above, the appeal of the European Parliament to the Georgian authorities to “extend the benefits” of the Agreement to the “residents of Abkhazia” is puzzling. At the same time, the motives of such an appeal become clear if we consider it in the context of presentation of next version of “peace initiative” by Tbilisi and its European friends.
  
 It should be re-emphasized that such initiatives, which have purely propaganda goals, in essence do not carry any positive content, do not take into account the new realities in the region, and cannot be of any interest to the Republic of Abkhazia.
  
 Instead of adopting meaningless draft resolutions, MEPs should have accepted an appeal to the leadership of Georgia to recognize the existing political realities in the South Caucasus and to start building relations with neighboring states based on the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect. "