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    Categories: 2023

Pashinyan’s statement expressing support for Georgia’s unity has stirred outrage in Abkhazia

Nov 27 2023

Pashinyan angered Abkhazia

Prime minister Nikol Pashinyan recently stated, “In my public statements, I have reiterated multiple times that we fully and unequivocally support the unity and statehood of Georgia.” His remarks faced criticism from several ethnic Armenian members of the Abkhazian parliament, as they issued a statement expressing disapproval of the Armenian Prime Minister’s words.


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“After the tragedy in Artsakh, where the current Armenian leadership condemned 120,000 of its own citizens living in Nagorno-Karabakh to eviction, one might have chosen to leave Pashinyan’s recent speech uncommented. However, the assertion of supporting the territorial integrity of Georgia appeared too cynical.

Cynical not because the Republic of Abkhazia is an independent state with no affiliation to sovereign Georgia, but because just a couple of years ago, Yerevan was vehemently asserting that Artsakh is Armenia and would not permit any Azerbaijani encroachment on Karabakh’s territory,” stated MPs Galust Trapizonian, Levon Galustian, Ashot Minasyan, and Eric Rshtuni.

Abkhazian president Aslan Bzhania remarked that “Pashinyan’s endorsement of Georgia’s “unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and democracy” fundamentally conflicts with Abkhazia’s sovereignty.”

He further noted that the Armenian community in Abkhazia is present across various aspects of life, encompassing politics to culture.

“Armenians in Abkhazia have everything that Nikol Pashinyan could not ensure for the Armenians of Karabakh, who, due to his policies, experienced the tragedy of statehood collapse and a mass exodus from their homeland. Furthermore, a consequence of Nikol Pashinyan’s policies was the breach of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia itself.”

Originally, Bzhania’s statement contained a paragraph asserting that “Abkhazia, unlike Armenia and Georgia, controls its entire territory.” This stance did not find favor with the opposition RESPUBLICA Telegram channel.

“Georgia regards Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of its territory, a perspective we do not share. However, given that Aslan Bzhania acknowledges the existence of ‘his’ uncontrolled territories within Georgia, it implies recognition of their presence. We anticipate clarifications from the Presidential Administration,” states RESPUBLICA.

No clarification was provided, but the paragraph mentioned earlier disappeared from Bzhania’s statement.


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Jane Topchian: