GD’s Kirtskhalia views Abkhazia not only as issue of territorial integrity but people, history, and common future

“Everyone who aspires to govern the country or participate in the political process bears a special responsibility for every word they utter when it comes to Abkhazia, the Tskhinvali region, war, and territorial integrity. We are obliged to tell society openly when political criticism ends and when the responsibility that may harm Georgia’s state interests starts,” said MP Irakli Kirtskhalia of the Georgian Dream party, addressing the plenary.

According to Kirtskhalia, every step of the Georgian government is based on the principle: peaceful deoccupation and reconciliation with trust.

“Abkhazia for us is not only an issue of territorial integrity but our people, history and common future. Therefore, every step of the Georgian government is based on the principle: peaceful deoccupation and reconciliation with trust; unification of the country through restoration of trust instead of a new conflict.

We are already witnessing attempts to turn any step aimed at restoring trust, fostering humanitarian ties, and achieving a peaceful settlement into a subject of political speculation, provocation, and artificial escalation. The public has the right to know the full truth.

Legal and political lustration of political and influence networks that directly or indirectly work against Georgia’s peaceful policy is crucial. Society should know who serves whose interests, who attempts to further distance Georgian and Abkhazian society and who is preparing frounds for a new confrontation.

After more than three decades of conflict, when the reconciliation of Georgian and Abkhaz societies requires careful consideration of every word and step, a single irresponsible statement can damage the trust built over years.

Abkhazia issue is not the place to score points. Anyone who uses this issue for internal political fighting or as a tool of external political interests should acknowledge that they will bear strict political responsibility.

It was precisely under the Georgian Dream government that Georgia established a crucial legal foundation for de-occupation in international courts. The Strasbourg Court confirmed Russia’s responsibility, its effective control, and the fact of the occupation of Georgian territories. This is the difference between noisy rhetoric and state policy,” he said.