Prime Minister of Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia Raul Khajimba arrived in Moscow on May 6, right after the ouster of former Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze. The purpose of his visit is unknown so far.
However, as the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports referring to the Abkhaz representation in Moscow, the visit was scheduled in April and has nothing common with the recent developments in Adjara.
In his telephone conversation with RIA Novosti on May 6 de facto Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Sergei Shamba ruled out the recurrence of “Adjarian scenario” in breakaway Abkhazia.
“Abkhazia is not Georgia; the Abkhazians have quite different mentality. The Georgian politicians do not take this fact into account,” the de facto Abkhaz Foreign Minister said.
Shamba expressed confidence that Georgia’s attempts to reintegrate Abkhazia into Georgia are doomed for failure.
Visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili said after the talks with her Russian counterpart in Moscow that the central government made “no parallels” between Adjara and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhaz and South Ossetian regions.
She said Abashidze’s departure “shows the Georgian government can resolve conflicts through democratic and peaceful means.”
After talks with the Georgian Foreign Minister Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia’s position towards Abkhazia remains unchanged and is based on recognition of Georgia’s territorial integrity.