Experts Suggest to Make Focus on Economic Project in Conflict Resolution
 |
| Georgian experts propose to launch joint economic projects on the both sides of Enguri River, which separates breakaway Abkhazia from the rest of Georgia. |
The Abkhaz side handed over to Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, the UN Secretary General’s special representative to Georgia, on January 12 a list of conditions, which the Abkhaz side set in order to resume peace talks.
Abkhaz Vice President Valeri Arshba told Abkhaz State Television on 8 January that he believes an agreement on peace and the non-resumption of hostilities would constitute a favorable foundation for beginning talks with Georgia’s new leadership.
Arshba has suggested such a peace treaty on several occasions. Arshba said that firm action by the new Georgian leadership “to disband the gangs and armed groups that are committing acts of terrorism and sabotage in Abkhazia” would have “a positive effect on the peace settlement process and build mutual confidence.” The Abkhaz de facto Vice President referred to the Georgian guerrilla groups operating in the conflict zone. The Abkhaz side also demands cancellation of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government in exile, led by Tamaz Nadareishvili. Abkhaz de facto authorities also demand from the Georgia’s new government to reject possible use of force in conflict resolution.
President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili said at a news briefing on January 12, while commenting on the Abkhaz side’s proposals, “everything will be done to avoid other alternatives rather than peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
“Restoration of territorial integrity is of vital importance for us. We recognize only peaceful methods for it. We do not need use of force and war,” Saakashvili said at a news briefing on January 12.
Spokesman for the Georgia’s provisional government Giorgi Arveladze gave more radical and specific comment. “This is an ultimatum,” he said while commenting the conditions set by the Abkhaz side.
“The Georgian state will itself set ultimatums. We will not permit ultimatums from the separatist,” Giorgi Arveladze told reporters on January 12.
Georgian independent experts and commentators believe that the radical rhetoric further increases gap between the sides and the new leadership should find a new ways of resolving the conflict. Group of Georgina independent experts have already started development of the project, which is focused on economic cooperation between the Georgians and Abkhazians.
Lasha Tughushi of Georgian daily Rezonansi (Resonance), who is engaged in development of this project, says that joint Georgian-Abkhazian economic projects in the conflict zone would be an affective measure to restore trust between the conflicting parties.
“We need a new approach to the Abkhaz conflict resolution. We should use new factors, which are rather essential for politicians and businessmen, on the one hand, and for ordinary people living in the conflict zone, on the other. We should find common economic interests,” Lasha Tughushi told Civil Georgia.
“First of all, we should attract the interest of the Abkhaz people to the cooperation with us. Just this is what the model envisages – we should start joint economic activity to increase interest of the Abkhaz side towards the cooperation with the Georgians,” MP Vakhtang Khmaladze, who is also actively involved in elaboration of the model, told Civil Georgia.
Last December Mikheil Saakashvili said that the economic growth in Georgia should become pre-condition of the country’s territorial integrity. “We say that we do not want use of force in order to restore territorial integrity. The only other way is to use economic leverage,” Saakashvili said.
“I am sure, that if the Abkhaz and South Ossetian sides will see that the economy is growing in Georgia they will come to us. We should attract them with economic opportunities,” Mikheil Saakashvili added.
The group of independent experts also suggests promoting the proposal of Gia Chanturia, who is the president of the Georgian International Oil Corporation, regarding building a pipeline through Abkhazia, linking the Russian port of Novorossiysk with the Georgian Black Sea port of Supsa. The success of the Baku-Tbilisi-Supsa pipeline, which opened in 1997, encouraged Giorgi Chanturia to promote this pipeline plan, which has been labeled as “pipeline diplomacy.”
Commentators believe that it is a right time for Georgia’s new leadership to push the Abkhaz issue on the international level more actively, as after the November bloodless revolution focus of international attention on Georgia has largely increased since November events.
Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the RFE/RL that Georgia has suffered from not being a sort of first-order conflict. “I think the more the international community can get focused… the greater the prospect for progress in Georgia,” he added.
Group of Georgian experts working on the project of Abkhaz conflict settlement also believe that the after the November revolution their project will also become in the focus of attention of the Georgian leadership, as they believe that new authorities are more open to cooperation with the civil society rather than it was during the previous government. However, the work over the project is not completed yet.
“Many factors, including the Russia’s role, which is of main importance in this regard, are to be taken into account while working over the model. Therefore, we think, it is untimely to submit it to the society for consideration. We continue to work over this issue,” political analyst Paata Zakareishvili told Civil Georgia.