UNM’s Parulava: If Georgia has an enemy, it is Russia; the Kremlin pitted Abkhazians against us, a tragic mission carried out by separatists for years

“Our paramount objective is the restoration of our territorial integrity. In a free, unified Georgia, everyone will have the opportunity to live in peace and freedom. There will be no segregation, no repression, and no terror. We, the democratic opposition, guarantee this to all citizens, including Abkhazians and Ossetians,” declared United National Movement (UNM) member Lasha Parulava.

“It was Bidzina Ivanishvili who apologised to the enemy, the occupier, and the separatists. We apologise to no one. Our core mission is restoring territorial integrity, and naturally, in a free, united Georgia, every citizen will be able to live freely. There will be no segregation, no repression, and no terror. The democratic opposition offers this guarantee to everyone, including Abkhazians and Ossetians.

The fundamental threat to our country stems from Russian forces stationed on land that belongs to us. Russian military bases currently occupy Abkhazia and Ossetia. Once they withdraw from Georgian soil, the proxy separatist regimes will collapse, Georgia’s independence will be restored, our internally displaced persons will return to their ancestral land, and Abkhazians and Ossetians will live side by side with their fellow citizens in peace,” Parulava stressed.

He underscored that if Georgia faces a true enemy, it is unequivocally the Russian Federation.

Parulava added that the Kremlin’s longstanding strategy has been to turn Abkhazians against Georgia; a tragic agenda pursued for years by key figures within the region and the separatist regime.

“There are individuals in Abkhazia who, incited by Russia, have long waged war against Georgia and its citizens. Because of them, 250,000 of our fellow countrymen were forcibly displaced from the land of Abkhazia.

I repeat: our primary objective is for the Russian occupational forces to leave our historical land, the soil where our ancestors lie buried and where our sacred heritage stands. We seek enmity with no one. If Georgia has an enemy, it is the Russian Federation. The Kremlin’s goal was to turn Abkhazians against Georgia, and for years, numerous Abkhaz figures and the separatist regime have carried out this tragic mission.

We will certainly not apologise to the enemy. We will overcome the enemy, and Georgia will be reunited. The Heroes Memorial, where the names of our fallen heroes are etched in gold letters, stands as a testament to this struggle. We will carry forward the fight of our heroes, and Georgia will unquestionably be restored to wholeness,” Parulava concluded.

For context, Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the ‘Ahali’ party, recently stated during a YouTube interview that “Abkhazians do not like Georgians, and to be frank, we do not like Abkhazians either; at this moment, we are enemies, and enmity cannot be transformed into love; that has never happened anywhere.”