Summary of answers from Oleg Bartsits, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, at a meeting with students majoring in International Relations at Abkhazia State University (December 11, 2025)
On expanding international recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia and cooperation with the Russian Federation:
We are consistently and decisively pursuing our foreign and domestic policies. I believe that our most important goal is to build our own effective and successful state project, and broad international recognition will come as a result of our successful building a national state project. For us, there are fundamental and crucial things. This includes cooperation with our strategic ally, partner, and friend, the Russian Federation. Through our contacts and joint work with Russian allies and partners, in particular, our ministry gains significant potential for conducting its foreign policy activities.
We have developed partnerships, friendly relations, and allied ties with the Russian Foreign Ministry. In the first six months of this year, I held two meetings with Foreign Minister Sergey Victorovich Lavrov. Furthermore, contacts in various other areas are intensifying. We have created a practice of consulting with relevant departments of the Russian Foreign Ministry, including regional ones. We receive direct information from our Russian colleagues, who have much broader capabilities for working, collecting information, and analyzing work in a particular region or country where we have interests and plans to work.
On cooperation with the Syrian Arab Republic: I believe we have good relations with the Syrian Arab Republic. This year, I met twice with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Compatriots Abroad of Syria, Mr. Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. We had contacts with a number of ministers and with senior officials in the administration of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
A specific plan of events has been outlined. I can't say it's a comprehensive roadmap, but at least we understand the logic and schedule for our contacts with Syrian leaders. The Abkhazian delegation participated in the 62nd Damascus International Fair in August of this year. Our pavilion was recognized by the organizers as the most visited. Our Diaspora, our compatriots living in Syria, certainly played a significant role in this. A huge number of international officials, ambassadors from various countries accredited in Syria, ministers, and diplomats communicated with us.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia pays great attention to the work with our Diaspora. We communicated with representatives of the Diaspora during our visits to both Syria and Turkey. We provide information on ongoing developments in the country, the role of our strategic ally, Russia, in strengthening the Republic's security, mitigating military and political risks, and the socioeconomic development of our country, including the implementation of major infrastructure projects.
Republic of Turkey
Following our visit to Syria in August of this year, we visited the Republic of Turkey and inspected the work of the Plenipotentiary Representative Office of the Republic of Abkhazia to the Republic of Turkey and the Federation of Abkhazian Cultural Centers.
As you know, elections for the head of the Federation were recently held, and our compatriot, Yavuz Atryshba, a veteran of the 1992-1993 Patriotic War of the People of Abkhazia, was elected President. I would like to say that we are satisfied with the result and welcome it. On December 4th, we had a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Yavuz Atryshba, who led the delegation of compatriots.
We discussed cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federation of Abkhazian Cultural Centers in Turkey, as well as the possibility of implementing joint humanitarian and cultural projects.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Plenipotentiary Representative Office of the Republic of Abkhazia to the Republic of Turkey, and the Federation of Abkhazian Cultural Centers share a common vision: the state policy of the Republic of Abkhazia also includes diaspora policy.
On cooperation with the Republic of Nicaragua: This year, our delegation also visited Nicaragua. We have high-level contacts with both the country's leaders and relevant ministers. For the first time, the delegation that visited Nicaragua in July of this year included representatives of our business community, who left a positive impression among our Nicaraguan counterparts. Today, certain business contacts and business processes are beginning with this geographically distant country.
There are some developments in the cultural sphere. This year, Nicaragua's representative, Katerin Velasquez, participated in the 4th Alisa Gitsba International Music Competition-Laboratory. Nicaragua demonstrates a genuine spirit of alliance and always votes on the Abkhazian issue as an ally of the Republic of Abkhazia.
On cooperation with the Republic of South Ossetia and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic
I often personally visit our brotherly and friendly South Ossetia, although I have not yet visited as the Minister. We have quite active contacts with South Ossetia in the interparliamentary area, humanitarian affairs, and cultural affairs.
As for Pridnestrovie, it's in a very difficult situation. Unfortunately, so far I see no reason to feel more optimistic. This is evident in almost everything. A whole special operation would have to be conducted for the Plenipotentiary Representative of Abkhazia to visit us. This is truly a risk, including the risk of criminal, judicial, and police prosecution, etc. Therefore, contacts are mostly conducted online. Meanwhile, our representative in Pridnestrovie is quite active. We would, of course, like completely different working conditions for our Pridnestrovian colleagues and friends, because they always demonstrate genuine allied and friendly qualities. We greatly appreciate this. We understand that our capabilities are quite limited by today's realities, but we are constantly in touch and in communication.
On the arguments at the Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia and in negotiations with countries that have not recognized the Republic of Abkhazia as a sovereign and independent state.
We are saying that it's time to stop the repeated mantra about the "occupation of Abkhazia" that has persisted for years, round after round, and that the administrative line, administrative border, and so on exist only in the imagination of Georgian diplomats.
A status quo has been established in the region for over 15 years. It's impossible to ignore it. It's counterproductive and doesn't lead to any progress in this format.
The Co-Chairs of the Discussions always declare their desire, their requests, for at least some progress and momentum. Our position is much more advantageous. We are ready to move toward achieving such an agreement and rely solely on the actual state of affairs in the region, not on imaginary conditions that simply do not and cannot exist.
Georgia's position, lacking arguments, is sometimes offset by emotion and nervous statements. Naturally, this can have no effect or impact on us.
At the same time, I sometimes hear the opinions of, so to speak, "domestic experts" who say that participation in the Geneva format is a waste of time and money, that it should be stopped, and so on. The only consequence of this decision—that is, Abkhazia's withdrawal from this format, which I hope we never accept—will be that our problems, issues, and prospects will be discussed without us. That is the only outcome. Can we afford this? I am convinced that we cannot.
Other formats agreed upon by all participants—the UN, the OSCE, the EU, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of South Ossetia, and the Republic of Georgia—do not exist and will not emerge in the foreseeable future. We must clearly understand this, dear friends. Regarding our negotiations with countries willing to consider establishing diplomatic relations with us, we have our own arguments. We speak openly and honestly inform officials and opinion leaders in these countries about the Republic of Abkhazia today, our aspirations, values, ideals, and plans. We also assess potential interactions with each country, including the economic, cultural, and humanitarian benefits of contacts with each other.
On the place of the Republic of Abkhazia in international politics in 10-15 years.
Given Abkhazia's transport, transit, and logistics potential, it is becoming an even more important player, not just on a local scale, in the narrow region of the South Caucasus. We are part of the global Eurasian space.
I have no doubt that Abkhazia will certainly take its rightful place in the global division of labor, in the global political and economic landscape. Abkhazia, whether our opponents like it or not, is an integral part of the Eurasian space.
The system of international relations is undergoing a serious revision. We must play our sovereign role in these complex processes, of course, in alliance with our partners, with those who are willing to talk to us, offer a helping hand, or at least listen to our truth.
I am confident that we will remain a democratic state, with our own unique traditional values, with all the diverse array of knowledge and competencies we are beginning to possess and strive to master.
