Georgia’s ruling party official says Abkhazia not a subject for political point-scoring

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, said on Monday that Abkhazia was not merely a matter of Georgia’s territorial integrity but also represented its people, history and shared future.

He stressed that every step taken by the authorities was guided by the principles of de-occupation through peace and reconciliation through trust.

Kirtskhalia noted that political criticism must not harm Georgia’s national interests.

“Anyone claiming a mandate to govern the country or participate in the political process bears a special responsibility for every word spoken about Abkhazia, the Tskhinvali region, war and Georgia’s territorial integrity. We have an obligation to make clear to society where political criticism ends and irresponsibility begins - particularly when it could cause concrete harm to Georgia’s national interests”, he said.

The official emphasised that the Georgian authorities’ policy toward the conflict was based on peaceful de-occupation, reconciliation and restoring ties between Georgian and Abkhaz societies.

“Abkhazia is not merely a matter of territorial integrity for us. It is our people, our history and our shared future. Therefore, every step taken by the Georgian authorities is guided by one fundamental principle: de-occupation through peace, reconciliation through trust, and the reunification of the country not through a new conflict, but through restoring relations”, Kirtskhalia noted.

He also criticised attempts to turn initiatives aimed at restoring trust and maintaining humanitarian ties into tools for political speculation and escalation.

“Today, we are seeing attempts to turn any step aimed at restoring trust, maintaining humanitarian ties and achieving a peaceful settlement into political speculation, provocation and artificial escalation. Society has the right to know the truth. We need full legal and political lustration of all political and influence networks that directly or indirectly work against Georgia’s peace policy. Society must know whose interests are being served, who is seeking to further distance Georgian and Abkhaz societies, and who is creating the conditions for a new confrontation”, he stressed.

Kirtskhalia further highlighted that after more than three decades of conflict, political figures must carefully consider the consequences of their words, as irresponsible statements could undermine trust built over many years.

“After more than three decades of conflict, when bringing Georgian and Abkhaz societies closer together requires careful consideration of every word and step, a single irresponsible statement can destroy in a day the trust built over years. Abkhazia is not an issue for scoring political points. Anyone who uses it as a tool for domestic political struggle or external political interests must understand that they will bear the strictest political responsibility. Our response to all this is results”, Kirtskhalia said.

He also highlighted what he described as the Georgian Dream government’s achievements in international legal proceedings related to the occupation of Georgia’s territories.

“It was under the Georgian Dream government that Georgia established important legal grounds for de-occupation through international courts. The European Court of Human Rights confirmed Russia’s responsibility, its effective control and the occupation of Georgian territories. This is the difference between loud rhetoric and state policy”, he concluded.