According to Aslan Bzhania, the de facto president of Russian-occupied Abkhazia, the West - in the form of the United States and European countries - does not want to view Abkhazia as part of the world and “does everything to prevent Abkhazia from developing”.
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‘They want our capital to be not Sokhumi, but Tbilisi, and they are working systematically to make it happen. They need this to show the world that the recognition of our sovereignty by the Russian Federation means nothing. Also, to show Georgia and other countries of the region that the key to solving problems is in their pocket”, Bzhania said on December 11, during the meeting with the so-called members of parliament.
The de facto president spoke about the importance of modern armed forces for Abkhazia. According to Bzhania, to sleep peacefully and wake up without worrying about the fate of their children, they need military power.
“A modern army, equipped with air defense and radio-electronic warfare, underwater missiles, and boats; an army whose soldiers are equipped and trained according to modern requirements; an army that has enough modern equipment, tanks, airplanes, and helicopters to protect the territory of Abkhazia from enemy invasion.
The republic had the opportunity to rearm, equip, and hold joint training exercises with its strategic ally – the Russian Federation. There was an appropriate proposal, acceptable conditions were set, and all advantages were calculated, but it did not pan out. Today we have to do all this ourselves: we repair airplanes at our own expense, build fortification lines and barracks, equip the personnel of the armed forces, and buy and manufacture airplanes and other equipment. Unfortunately, the measures we have taken are not enough,” said Bzhania.
According to him, Abkhazia must fight to become a part of the new architecture of the world, the new security system, which is built on mutual respect, recognition of sovereignty, and integration with allies – “That's why we are with Russia! For this reason, we are focused on establishing such a relationship with it.”
However, Bzhania said that they should not always count on Russia's selfless support, “because today's hostilities will create other, more affected regions, where all means will be diverted.”
Recently, USAID-funded projects were banned in occupied Abkhazia on the grounds that they promote communication between Georgians and Abkhazians. USAID/Caucasus Mission Director John Pennell was declared persona non grata. Funding of media projects whose purpose is to cover the domestic and foreign policy issues of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia is prohibited.
