SUKHUM, May 1. /TASS/. The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry is calling on the leadership of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to stop making unfounded statements and show a balanced approach to assessing the situation in the republic.
PACE President Liliane Maury-Pasquier told the media during her visit to Georgia that there were alarming facts about the situation on the "occupied Georgian territories." She believes the solution to this problem is to build ties among people and hold dialogue. Maury-Pasquier emphasized that Strasbourg was not planning to put up with the "occupation of Georgian regions."
In comment on this statement, the Abkhazian Foreign Ministry said: "This PACE president’s statement clearly shows a biased and politicized approach of European structures towards the independent Republic of Abkhazia. We call for abstaining from momentary and unfounded statements and showing a balanced approach to assessing the situation in the Republic of Abkhazia."
According to the ministry, PACE, which is designed to promote democratic values, "is turning into a tool of pressure against undesirable states." The ministry also accused the organization’s leadership of double standards.
The ministry emphasizes that the people of Abkhazia fulfilled their right to independence and sovereignty, recognized in 2008 by Russia and other UN member-states, but the Council of Europe has been completely ignoring this.
"At Georgia’s suggestion, PACE prefers to fiddle with the absurd thesis on "the occupied territories." Meanwhile, the Council of Europe does not believe it is possible to listen to the Abkhazian side’s stance on the political aspect of the issue," it said.
"The humanitarian aspect is also viewed very unilaterally. While stating about "alarming facts from the occupied territories," European parliamentarians prefer to turn a blind eye to numerous facts when Georgian authorities violated the rights of Abkhazians," the ministry noted.
There is still no response to Abkhazia’s numerous attempts to settle the issue on the free travel of its citizens with national passports. "While turning a blind eye to this important aspect, European partners of Georgia continue blindly supporting the destructive line towards Abkhazia’s international isolation," it stressed.
Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and another former Georgian autonomous region of South Ossetia on August 26, 2008 after a five-day war. Overnight to August 8, 2008, Georgia attacked South Ossetia, prompting Moscow to defend civilians, many of whom held Russian citizenship.