Bagapsh Refuses to Yield to Russia’s Threats

Abkhaz opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh, who intends to be inaugurated as the President of unrecognized republic on December 6, said he will not yield to Russia’s threats over a potential blockade of the region, adding that he will not give up plans to be inaugurated.

Assistant to the Prime Minister of Russia Gennady Bukaev said on December 1 that Russia is closing the railway communication with Abkhazia starting on December 2. Earlier, the governor of the Russian region of Krasnodar, which borders Abkhazia, also threatened to close border.

“All these are parts of one chain – the recent threats by the governor of Krasnodar Aleksander Tkachov, visits by top Russian Interior Ministry officials, as well as the statement by the Russian Prime Minister’s aide. However, we can say that these kinds of actions only trigger more tensions in the republic. Nevertheless, despite such pressure, we are not going to even slightly change our plans over the scheduled presidential inauguration,” Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta quotes Sergey Bagapsh.

“I think that the Abkhaz television will broadcast the statement by Gennady Bukaev [Assistant to the Prime Minister of Russia]. Let the people know who is in fact destabilizing situation in Abkhazia,” the Russian daily Kommersant also quoted Sergey Bagapsh as saying.

However Bagapsh added that the statements by particular Russian officials “will not affect the positive relations between the Abkhaz and Russian people.”

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