Abkhazian Foreign Ministry considers relations with the EU to be among its priorities for foreign policy

SUKHUM -- Abkhazia's Foreign Ministry considers relations with the European Union to be foreign policy priorities for the republic. "Abkhazia is part of Europe, therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia considers the relationship with the EU to be one of the priorities in foreign policy," a statement of the Foreign Ministry noted.

According to the Foreign Ministry of Abkhazia, the European Parliament resolution "Summary of the European Neighbourhood Policy", adopted on 7 April this year, "is important for planning further cooperation between the Republic of Abkhazia and various EU institutions." 

The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Abkhazia positively receives this signal of the EU, "based on a balanced pragmatic policy of good neighbourliness aimed at repairing dialogue and closer cooperation."

Abkhazia is in favour of diversification of contacts with the outside world and for the intensification of direct and immediate contacts with the EU. “This approach”, they are confident in the Foreign Ministry of Abkhazia, "is the only rational one, designed to lift the long-term political and economic isolation of the Republic of Abkhazia". 

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs they believe that "the establishment of direct contacts in the spheres of culture, education and business, will strengthen the credibility of European institutions in Abkhazian society, which in recent years has been pretty well destroyed." "Moreover, the de-isolation of Abkhazia and direct cooperation with the European Union will contribute to the development of democratic civil society in Abkhazia and will also create favourable conditions for the peaceful settlement of the conflict,” the Foreign Minister declares. “For its part, Abkhazia has always been willing to consider pragmatic initiatives and innovative approaches to resolve the conflict. " 

The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry welcomed the fact that "in the European Parliament's resolution was noted a commitment to resolve the conflict through non-use of force and the right to self-determination of peoples." "It becomes obvious that the resolution of conflicts in the South Caucasus should be based not only on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also the right of nations to self-determination. By enshrining the said principle in the Resolution, the European Parliament has in fact established the equivalence of the right to self-determination of a nation with other principles of international law," is emphasized in the statement of the MFA of Abkhazia. 

The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry hopes that the European Parliament’s resolution will provide an impulse to de-isolate the republic and establish direct contacts with the European Union at all levels.