On February 5, 2026, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia between Irakli Tuzhba, Acting Minister and Acting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Elchin Adzinba, a representative of the Abkhaz diaspora in Turkey and associate professor at Adnan Menderes University (Turkey).
Also participating in the meeting were Artur Gagulia, Head of the Middle East and Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Aida Tuzhba, Senior Referent of the Middle East and Africa Department; and Alias Asabua, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting focused on Elchin Adzinba's speech at the 18-th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva, specifically the issue of freedom of movement and the possibility of recognizing the Abkhaz national passport for international travel.
Irakli Tuzhba emphasized that Elchin Adzinba's speech at this important international forum allowed him to present Abkhazia's objective position to representatives of the international community. This speech attracted particular attention in Abkhazia.
"Your speech resonated widely in Abkhazia—many saw it and appreciated it. We were pleased to know that our compatriots can participate in such important international events and articulately defend the interests of our republic," Tuzhba noted.
Irakli Tuzhba also emphasized that the issue of freedom of movement and the use of Abkhaz national passports is regularly raised at the Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia, which remains the only international forum where Abkhazia can defend its position, as other venues are closed to official representatives of the republic.
During the meeting, Irakli Tuzhba presented Elchin Adzinba with a letter of thanks on behalf of Oleg Bartsits, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia.
Tuzhba also thanked Elchin Adzinba for holding of a workshop for students of Abkhaz State University. "We want to thank you for the work you do for our students.
"This is very important because such formats allow our young people to delve deeper into the work of the UN and become thoroughly familiar with the existing of mechanisms of this key international organization," he said.
For her part, Elchin Adzinba noted that she was pleasantly surprised by the high level of engagement of the Abkhaz students and their desire to study issues related to international human rights.
She also spoke about her speech at the 18-th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva, specifically about the various preparatory stages required for participation in the forum, emphasizing that effectively representing the interests of the Abkhaz people at the international level requires additional support and coordination.
During the meeting, the participants also discussed issues of international promotion of the rights of the Abkhaz people and expanding of the participation of Abkhaz experts in various international forums.
