On February 22, the President of Abkhazia took part in the round table “Russia and Abkhazia: Security and Development” at the Center for Socio-Economic Research on the eve of the presidential elections in Russia. The event was also attended by Head of the Presidential Administration Abesalom Kvarchia, Secretary of the Security Council Sergey Shamba, Minister of Foreign Affairs Inal Ardzinba, Russian Ambassador to Abkhazia Mikhail Shurgalin.
Opening the event, the head of the CSEI Oleg Damenia noted that Russia has a unique experience of cultural co-development, as a result of which non-Slavic peoples living on the territory of the Russian Federation consider it their homeland. “Today, the Russophobic doctrine, imposed on the world by the West, penetrates into the consciousness of our society. Moreover, when it has not yet developed its ideological paradigm, has not defined its social development model and continues to be in a turbulent state,” he said.
In conditions when political and ideological institutions are still weak, it is difficult for voters to determine their socio-political orientation. In this context, the opinions expressed by the participants of the round table, according to Oleg Damenia, will help our society, especially the Russian citizens of Abkhazia, in understanding the full significance of the upcoming presidential elections of the Russian Federation and their responsibility in strengthening the commonwealth of our countries.
Secretary of the Security Council of Abkhazia Sergey Shamba stressed that we live in an era of global change, when the world system is being reorganized. “We are not strong enough to actively counter emerging threats on our own, and here it is important for us to choose the right political vector. Our historical tragedies were connected with the fact that we did it unsuccessfully at one time due to the fact that there was no single leader in the Abkhazian nation, there was no unity,” Shamba said. “It is important for us today to maintain unity, rally around a common idea and understand what threats exist.” He also stressed that Abkhazia was lucky that after the collapse of the USSR, the political figures of our country managed to build a competent political course. This has helped to keep a great world power, a member of the UN Security Council, and the largest country in the world as allies, which gives us hope for the development and preservation of identity and statehood. “The only way to survive is an alliance with the Russian Federation. And the upcoming elections will be an indicator of how our society assesses the threats facing the people,” he said.
The participants of the round table talked about the special nature of relations and the role of elections in strengthening and expanding ties between Russia and Abkhazia. Natalia Kayun, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation of the Russian Cultural Center in Abkhazia, in particular, expressed hope that the wise multinational Abkhazian people would make the right choice. Ruslan Khashig, Director General of the Abaza-TV television company, expressed his readiness to provide all possible assistance to the election campaign together with the Russian Embassy in Abkhazia. “In addition to informational and advertising support, we also admit that campaign materials from Russian presidential candidates may be presented on our channel, if such appeals are received,” he added.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia Inal Ardzinba, Russia’s foreign policy guidelines are formed from the need to ensure security and economic growth. “It is enough to look at the work of such interstate associations as the Union State of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, BRICS and other structures that are largely initiated by Russia and operate with its support,” Ardzinba said. The Minister believes that while preserving the sovereignty of Abkhazia, such associations as the Union State, focused on ensuring security and economic growth, can help the republic realize its national interests. “The Union State is one of the most active and high-quality integration associations in terms of interaction, within the framework of which military-technical cooperation between its participants has reached an unprecedented level,” the minister said.
Anita Bganba, a teacher at ASU, noted that Abkhazia is located in a unique space. “Few countries have such an opportunity to vote for the leadership positions of two states: we can choose the president of Abkhazia and Russia. Today, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is the guarantor who allows us to exist peacefully,” she said.
President of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania expressed confidence in the importance of the elections for the future development of both countries and stressed the special nature of the relationship, which ensured the sovereignty of the republic. According to him, the largest number of polling stations among all post-Soviet countries will be opened in the republic for the upcoming elections. “We will approach election day as a holiday, and the outcome of this day will determine the prospects for our development for the next seven years, I mean the development of our state and cooperation with Russia,” Aslan Bzhania stressed.
Russia and Abkhazia are linked by relations of alliance and strategic partnership, which can be seen in all spheres, said Russian Ambassador Mikhail Shurgalin. He noted that there are problems in cooperation, of course. But the important thing is that they are not only discussed in time, but also resolved thanks to the will of both sides. The Russian Ambassador to Abkhazia confirmed the possibility of Russians participating in the elections with expired passports, which demonstrates the depth of allied and strategic relations between the countries.
The participants of the round table expressed their opinion on the importance of the upcoming elections and stressed the need to confront external threats through unity and cooperation, and also expressed confidence in choosing the right political course to ensure the security and prosperity of Abkhazia and Russia.
A source http://presidentofabkhazia.org/about/info/news/?ELEMENT_ID=16357
