Armenian-Abkhaz Relations off the Rails?

OPED

The issue of Armenia has become more active in the occupied territory of Abkhazia as the Armenian population in Sokhumi is blamed for controlling the local economy.

“There is only one step from controlling the economy to controlling the whole government” – this is what they think there. Further, the ethnic Armenians are also accused of political conspiracies.

Abkhazians believe that it is exactly they who lobby the issue of renewal of the railway connection with Tbilisi which they think undermines the Abkhazian state. Abkhazians also have a number of other accusations towards ethnic Armenians, though these two are the main.

The relations between Abkhazians and Armenians became tense after the unofficial data of the 2011 general census suggested that the Armenian population equaled that of the Abkhazians and after which it soon turned into a demand for equal political rights.

Namely, the Armenian population demanded the same number of mandates as the ethnic Abkhazians in the so-called Parliament. This demand didn’t get further than the coastal Coffeekhanas at the time.

However, after the government changed in Tbilisi and the issue of the railway renewal appeared on the political agenda, the issue of quotas for ethnic Armenians acquired a much more important political meaning. Despite the position of the Kremlin, Abkhazians do not agree to renew the railway with Tbilisi.

Therefore, the so-called legislative perspectives of settling on this issue equals zero.

The fact that the political stirring up of ethnic Armenians is directly linked with the issue of the railway is confirmed by Aidamir Khishba, one of the leaders of the Abkhazian movement Aidgilara.In his interview with kavkazplus.com, Khishba accused Armenian MPs of lobbying the renewal of the railway.

“Armenian MPs in the Abkhazian Parliament are getting more and more actively involved in regional politics and are lobbying the renewal of the railway connection between Armenia and Russia via Georgia. Because the Abkhazian political forces oppose this, some uncertain projects like ‘The Abkhaz Railway Consortium’ are born, according to which the entire railway should be subordinated to businessmen from Moscow.”

The goals of the Kremlin and the de facto government did not match in this railway issue, which became apparent earlier when then-ruler of Abkhazia Alexandre Ankvab claimed he was categorically against it.

That said, despite the fact that, in answer to this rejection, he suffered the Tangerine Revolution from the Kremlin, it turned out that no greater enthusiasm is shown by Ankvab’s successor and the Kremlin’s favorite - Raul Khajinba. In Sokhumi they the latter will also end up with a revolution from the Kremlin.

The internet publications in the occupied territory are already announcing the collecting of signatures for a referendum on early presidential elections. According to the Abkhazian legislation, the referendum will be held if the initiating group are able to collect at least ten thousand signatures within two months.

And this is exactly where the votes of the ethnic Armenian population can become decisive in the issue of renewal of the railway project. However, Tbilisi is also not demonstrating complete support for the Kremlin in this issue. It seems that the Kremlin is trying to play the Armenian card not only in Sokhumi but in Tbilisi as well. In this regard, the three videos shared earlier this year on social networks are noteworthy.

The first was connected with folklore - the Georgian dance Daisi was presented as part of Armenian folklore, the issue of copyright infringement regarding the song Kvavilebis Kvekana (Country of Flowers) followed and the third was about the game played in Sokhumi by the famous Armenian football club from Yerevan – Ararati.

Taking into consideration the impulsive and explosive nature of Georgians, the above-mentioned could only give rise to negative emotions, which also raises a rhetorical question: Whose interests are behind these facts and what purpose do they serve?

Not much political analysis is needed to see that the positions of Sokhumi and Tbilisi coincide in the issue of the railway renewal. This is an additional positive fact on the way of renewing relations with Sokhumi, just like the National Hepatitis C Program, which brought half of Sokhumi’s population to Tbilisi.

Lately the visa liberalization followed which can give an opportunity to Abkhazs to escape from the political isolation.

Zaza Jgarkava