Compromise options are exhausted — experts on the conditions of reconciliation of Abkhazia with Russia

There are people in the Parliament of Abkhazia who seek to harm relations with Russia, said Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, commenting on Russia's suspension of payments to state employees and security forces of Abkhazia.

"For quite a long time, the Parliament of Abkhazia has been avoiding fulfilling promises related to the harmonization of legislation. For example, it does not recognize the jurisdiction of arbitration courts. The document on this subject is in parliament, but deputies do not make decisions under the influence of populist sentiments and a campaign of suspicion against Russia, which is being conducted by some people (including from among the deputies). As far as I know, it is explained by this. Everything else, as I understand it, is in the process of further negotiations and discussions," Zatulin said.

The Russian parliamentarian claims that an "active minority" in the Abkhaz parliament is campaigning against agreements with Russia, seeing in this a violation of the sovereignty of the republic.

"If people in Abkhazia do not distinguish colors and do not distinguish who is right, who is to blame, then, of course, there may be different points of view. I really hope that people will understand who is to blame for this. We have already experienced for several years a completely unscrupulous campaign related to the state dacha in Pitsunda. During this campaign, a number of politicians heated up their ratings, not thinking about how Russia and Abkhazia are interconnected, how Abkhazia needs Russia's support in all spheres. There is a minority group, but a fairly active minority, which is campaigning against any agreements with Russia, trying to see behind each such agreement some kind of diminution of the sovereignty of Abkhazia. These people are harming Russian-Abkhaz relations, and the population of Abkhazia should know about it and understand who is right, who is to blame," Zatulin believes.

Zatulin expressed the opinion that an active campaign against cooperation with Russia is being conducted from abroad for foreign grants.

"I proceed from the fact that Russia and Abkhazia are allied states, as follows from the agreements that have been signed between us. But I can't help but note that in the blogosphere of Abkhazia, under the influence, including foreign grants, of all kinds of third sector organizations, a campaign is underway that is designed to create a crack in relations between Russia and Abkhazia. These characters are famous. Some of them are members of Parliament. Again, they are not the majority, but they turn out to influence the mood of the majority. And the majority does not show will and determination, and goes with the flow. It seems to me that in this case this decision is designed to draw their attention to the fact that their further attitude to all our agreements does not lead to anything good," he concluded.

As EADaily reported, at the end of August, an unconfirmed protocol from the meeting of the deputy head of the Presidential administration of Russia Dmitry Kozak and the President of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania was published in social networks, which, in particular, refers to the deprivation of Russian citizenship of several Abkhaz deputies.

The protocol from the meeting of Kozak and Bzhania also states the need to suspend the transfer of Russian financial assistance to the Republic from September 1 until the Abkhaz side fulfills the following obligations: to ratify the agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on the recognition and enforcement of court and arbitration decisions on economic matters; to ensure the entry into force of the agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Armenia on implementation of investment projects by Russian legal entities on the territory of to remove restrictions from Russian investors in the commercial real estate market of the Republic of Armenia (apartments).

Following this, it became known that Russia has partially suspended financial assistance to Abkhazia since September 1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia Sergey Shamba said that the suspension of payments affected doctors, teachers, law enforcement officers and other categories.

Shamba calls what is happening "sanctions," but the word is incorrect in this case, says political scientist Yevgeny Krutikov. He stressed that we are not talking about any illegal restrictions - Moscow is acting strictly within the framework of long—standing bilateral Russian-Abkhaz agreements.

"The chain is like this. There is a state program of socio-economic development of Abkhazia for 2022-2025. The Russian-Abkhaz agreement "on facilitating the implementation" of this program is attached to it. And in this "assistance agreement", in turn, there is a program for harmonizing the legislation of the two countries. In accordance with this program, the legislation The RA had to be brought into line with Russian and some international standards by August 1, 2024. In particular, special attention is drawn to the paragraph on the recognition of decisions of arbitration courts. And also about the creation of guarantees for foreign (read — Russian) investors in Abkhazia, especially in the field of commercial real estate. Abkhazia has not fulfilled its obligations," Krutikov said.

And now, the expert notes, the government of Abkhazia recognizes that the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation has the right to partially or completely suspend the transfer of funds to the Ministry of Finance of Abkhazia in cases of non-compliance by the Abkhaz side with the provisions of the agreement. Roughly speaking, according to Krutikov, "this is a fine imposed on the Abkhaz side for not fulfilling its part of the agreement."

"And this fine will be in effect until the Abkhaz side fulfills its obligations," Krutikov said.

He also recalled the Abkhaz oppositionists, "among whom there are members of parliament and representatives of pro-Western NGOs, who have been torpedoing projects aimed at strengthening Abkhazia's interaction with Russia and normalizing socio-economic life in the republic for several years."

"Rallies are being held, petitions are being written, "open letters". The oppositionists demand personal communication with the heads of state structures, threaten with "people's gatherings." Personal meetings and "gatherings" are a local political flavor. And all this is very loud, sometimes under slogans like "Russia is a colonizer!"Abkhazia is in danger of losing its sovereignty," Krutikov notes.

Only last summer, he recalls, under pressure from parliament, the previously introduced law "on transparency of NGOs" was withdrawn, according to which numerous pro-Western groups would have to disclose the sources of their funding. A package of laws on commercial real estate was also blocked, which would have given guarantees to investors who planned to build several settlements of modern apartments in Abkhazia that could be rented during the holiday season. According to Krutikov, agreements on the transfer of former sanatorium-resort facilities of the USSR to the use of the Russian Federation are being sabotaged. The agreement on cooperation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the two countries is being disrupted. Reconstruction of the maintenance point of the Russian Navy in Ochamchire. Construction work at the Sukhumi airport has not really begun. Russian Ambassador Mikhail Shurgalin is being insulted on social networks.

"The socio-economic development of the republic, including within the framework of a joint program with Russia, has essentially stopped. At the same time, the opposition forces President Bzhania and the Ankvaba government to cancel decisions and initiatives already agreed with Russia, threatening to destabilize the situation in the republic. And all this is accompanied by anti—Russian rhetoric, in which Western information blanks are guessed," Krutikov said.

At the same time, Russia, according to him, "carefully complied with all contractual obligations."

At the moment, the press service of the President of Abkhazia has only refuted the opposition's claim that he allegedly "committed" to provide Moscow with the installation data on the most active oppositionists to begin the procedure of depriving them of Russian citizenship.

As Krutikov predicts, there will be a new round of Russian-Abkhaz negotiations.

"However, the options for compromises have largely been exhausted. Sukhum has not solved a number of problems in relations with Russia for many years. Now the situation has worsened and moved to the public plane. What can the Abkhaz leadership do in this situation? At least stop following the opposition, whose actions under the slogans of "protecting the sovereignty of Abkhazia" eventually led to the current crisis. Abkhazia will have to adopt a law on transparency of NGOs and all other norms and rules, agreements on which were reached long ago. Then there will be no talk of any "sanctions"," Krutikov believes.