The Public Chamber of Abkhazia appeals to the members of the Municipal Council of the Scottish city of Kilmarnock:
"We, the representatives of the civil society of the Republic of Abkhazia appeal to the members of the Kilmarnock Municipal Council with a call not to succumb to the provocation initiated by T. Beruchashvili, the Georgian Ambassador to the UK after her recent visit to Scotland. It is clear that the aim of this campaign is to undermine friendly relations formed between sister-cities: the capital of Abkhazia Sukhumi and the Scottish Kilmarnock. In our opinion, the actions of the Georgian ambassador are a manifestation of the short-sighted and aggressive policies of the Georgian in relation to Abkhazia.
Abkhazians, like some other small peoples faced attempts at assimilation by neighboring Georgia, were forced to fight for the preservation of their national and cultural identity and after the introduction of Georgian troops into the territory of Abkhazia in 1992 - for their physical survival. The bloody slaughter imposed on the multinational people of Abkhazia brought untold suffering, the death of thousands of innocent people, the purposeful destruction of the monuments of Abkhaz culture and the destruction of economic infrastructure.
Now, 24 years after the end of the war the understanding and moral support given to us by citizens of a number of countries, including the inhabitants of Scotland, help to overcome the devastating consequences to the people of Abkhazia. The highest manifestation of friendship was the construction in Kilmarnock of a monument to soldiers who gave their lives for freedom of Abkhazia during the Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia in 1992-1993. The Memorial Park with the monument built on the initiative of the authorities of Sukhumi-Kilmarnock sister-city, became a symbol of friendship, mutual support and readiness for cooperation. The citizens of Abkhazia highly appreciated this initiative and as a token of gratitude and solidarity one of the streets of Sukhum was named "Scotland".
It should be emphasized that these actions of the authorities of Scotland and Abkhazia are not an act of mutual recognition. The sister-city of Kilmarnock and Sukhumi are not a political union they do not pursue the purposes of inducing Great Britain to recognize the state independence of Abkhazia but pursue only humanitarian goals.
Unfortunately, the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict has not been resolved to this day but only frozen. And the latest statements and actions of the Georgian diplomats clearly demonstrate how their inability to learn from the mistakes of the past and the reluctance to engage in constructive dialogue with Abkhazia to build a sustainable and just world.
We hope that humanism and common sense will prevail and the residents and authorities of Kilmarnock will not tolerate outrages over the memory of those who fell for the freedom of their homeland. This will bring friendly relations between Scotland and Abkhazia to a new, higher level in the interests of both countries. "
"We, the representatives of the civil society of the Republic of Abkhazia appeal to the members of the Kilmarnock Municipal Council with a call not to succumb to the provocation initiated by T. Beruchashvili, the Georgian Ambassador to the UK after her recent visit to Scotland. It is clear that the aim of this campaign is to undermine friendly relations formed between sister-cities: the capital of Abkhazia Sukhumi and the Scottish Kilmarnock. In our opinion, the actions of the Georgian ambassador are a manifestation of the short-sighted and aggressive policies of the Georgian in relation to Abkhazia.
Abkhazians, like some other small peoples faced attempts at assimilation by neighboring Georgia, were forced to fight for the preservation of their national and cultural identity and after the introduction of Georgian troops into the territory of Abkhazia in 1992 - for their physical survival. The bloody slaughter imposed on the multinational people of Abkhazia brought untold suffering, the death of thousands of innocent people, the purposeful destruction of the monuments of Abkhaz culture and the destruction of economic infrastructure.
Now, 24 years after the end of the war the understanding and moral support given to us by citizens of a number of countries, including the inhabitants of Scotland, help to overcome the devastating consequences to the people of Abkhazia. The highest manifestation of friendship was the construction in Kilmarnock of a monument to soldiers who gave their lives for freedom of Abkhazia during the Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia in 1992-1993. The Memorial Park with the monument built on the initiative of the authorities of Sukhumi-Kilmarnock sister-city, became a symbol of friendship, mutual support and readiness for cooperation. The citizens of Abkhazia highly appreciated this initiative and as a token of gratitude and solidarity one of the streets of Sukhum was named "Scotland".
It should be emphasized that these actions of the authorities of Scotland and Abkhazia are not an act of mutual recognition. The sister-city of Kilmarnock and Sukhumi are not a political union they do not pursue the purposes of inducing Great Britain to recognize the state independence of Abkhazia but pursue only humanitarian goals.
Unfortunately, the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict has not been resolved to this day but only frozen. And the latest statements and actions of the Georgian diplomats clearly demonstrate how their inability to learn from the mistakes of the past and the reluctance to engage in constructive dialogue with Abkhazia to build a sustainable and just world.
We hope that humanism and common sense will prevail and the residents and authorities of Kilmarnock will not tolerate outrages over the memory of those who fell for the freedom of their homeland. This will bring friendly relations between Scotland and Abkhazia to a new, higher level in the interests of both countries. "