SUKHUM, September 30. /TASS/. Abkhazia calls for continuing the Geneva Discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus, Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania said in an interview with TASS.
"More than 50 rounds of international discussions have already been held but unfortunately, no agreement has so far been signed that would oblige the parties not to use force to resolve issues between them," he noted. "Still, we need to engage in a conversation, no matter how much time it takes," Bzhania added.
However, in his words, Abkhazia’s independence is not negotiable. "We would like to have good-neighborly relations with all our neighbors, including Georgia. Judging by how they have been behaving in the current situation, all senior Georgian officials except the president are pragmatists and I don’t rule out that the Geneva Discussions could lead to something. I believe they realize that peace is crucial for the development of both Abkhazia and Georgia," Bzhania emphasized.
Abkhazia is celebrating Victory and Independence Day on September 30. The republic was liberated from Georgian troops on September 30, 1993, which marked the end of an armed conflict between Abkhazia and Georgia. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In response, Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Moscow. UN member states such as Venezuela, Nauru, Nicaragua and Syria have also recognized the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia.