The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia was perplexed by the emotional statements of Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Belarus during his visit to Tbilisi.
It is regrettable that Alexander Grigorievich talks about Abkhazia in the context of the territorial integrity of Georgia. Meanwhile, the Head of the Belarusian State should be well aware that the Republic of Abkhazia is not the "edge" of Georgia but a state whose sovereignty in 2008 after the Georgian aggression in South Ossetia was officially recognized by the Russian Federation. The relations between Abkhazia and Russia are built on a contractual and legal basis and are of a strategic nature. The Republic of Abkhazia is also building interstate relations with a number of other UN member states.
The Republic of Abkhazia as well as the other states of the post-Soviet space faces with tasks related to increasing social and economic development, improving the quality of life of the population, strengthening of the state institutions as well as the other tasks relevant to the young Abkhazian state. Abkhazia is visited annually by a million tourists from the CIS countries including the Republic of Belarus. For citizens of the Republic of Belarus there is a visa-free entry to the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia. In this connection it is indeed surprising the statement of Alexander Lukashenko that Abkhazia "has become something incomprehensible".
We consider it unworthy for the leader of the Republic of Belarus-the state allied with Russia, to voice such statements insulting the Republic of Abkhazia.
It is regrettable that Alexander Grigorievich talks about Abkhazia in the context of the territorial integrity of Georgia. Meanwhile, the Head of the Belarusian State should be well aware that the Republic of Abkhazia is not the "edge" of Georgia but a state whose sovereignty in 2008 after the Georgian aggression in South Ossetia was officially recognized by the Russian Federation. The relations between Abkhazia and Russia are built on a contractual and legal basis and are of a strategic nature. The Republic of Abkhazia is also building interstate relations with a number of other UN member states.
The Republic of Abkhazia as well as the other states of the post-Soviet space faces with tasks related to increasing social and economic development, improving the quality of life of the population, strengthening of the state institutions as well as the other tasks relevant to the young Abkhazian state. Abkhazia is visited annually by a million tourists from the CIS countries including the Republic of Belarus. For citizens of the Republic of Belarus there is a visa-free entry to the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia. In this connection it is indeed surprising the statement of Alexander Lukashenko that Abkhazia "has become something incomprehensible".
We consider it unworthy for the leader of the Republic of Belarus-the state allied with Russia, to voice such statements insulting the Republic of Abkhazia.