In August Abkhazia marks two events: one is crucial for the republic - recognition of it independence by Russia; another is less important, but significant - an anniversary of electing Raul Khajimba to the presidential position. In one of seven sanctuaries of Abkhazia – Lykh-nykha – six supreme oracles served an ancient ceremony of Anykhuara. Apsnypress reported, citing the Supreme Oracle of the sanctuary, Sergey Shakryla, that the oracles made a vow of sacrifice during the last presidential elections in August 2014. “When the head of the state was election, there were confrontations among people; we, oracles, made a vow that whoever would have been elected, we would hold Anykhuara. Today, solving the vow, we address God to unite our peoples. Raul Jumkovich, we congratulate you and wish you always be together with our people. Good luck in your activities! Let us have no troubles!” the Oracle said, servicing the ceremony. Before it, Father Vissarion Apliaa served liturgy in the Cathedral of Dormition of the Mother of God.
Ancient Abkhaz ceremonies and Christian culture are interconnected in Abkhazia and are followed by the majority of ethnic Abkhazians. Members of the government, President, MPs of the Abkhazian parliament were present at the ceremony. They do need God’s help at the moment.
According to Kommersant, this year Russia has almost stopped supporting Abkhazia within the program of supporting its socio-economic development. “By the beginning of August, only 127 million rubles were actually allocated from 3.7 billion rubles which were planned by the program of supporting socio-economic development of Abkhazia in 2015,” the Ministry of Economy of Abkhazia says.
Meanwhile, Abkhazia began to spend its own money to pay its national debt (2 billion rubles) which was taken in 2010 for a reconstruction of the railway. According to the Abkhazian authorities, the loan was economically explained by a necessity to restore the railway to export inert materials to Russia.
Raul Khajimba has recently said that “we discussed with President of Russia the problem of the railway loan. It has already being paid for two years. At the moment, we have paid about 25 million rubles for interest, and in the nearest future we will pay a part of the loan itself. However, we raise a question of reconstruction or writing-off the loan; and we have reached mutual understanding on the issue with President of Russia.”
Interestingly, the part of the railway from the town of Ochamchir to the Inguri River on the Abkhaz-Georgian border didn’t operate after the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Today Russian soldiers help the Abkhazian side to demine and clean the part. The director of the Abkhazian Railway, Guram Gubaz, told Sputnik that the number of the militaries involved into cleaning of the railways was a secret: “We don’t want to cause a rush and the Georgians to raise hell. We don’t know whether transit connection between Russia and Georgia through Abkhazia will be restored or not. It doesn’t depend on us.”
According to the ambassador of Georgia to Azerbaijan, Teimuraz Sharashenidze, the problem of reconstruction of the railway connection between Russia and Georgia through Abkhazia wasn’t discussed in the Georgian government. He thinks that along with an economic aspect, the question has a political background. And for Georgia, reconstruction of the railway is similar to a threat to its territorial integrity.
Moscow also comments prospects of opening the road carefully. Meanwhile, problems of bilateral Russian-Abkhazian relations draw a broad response in Sukhumi. Today one of the most topical problems for the Abkhazian society is the agreement on the Information and Coordinating Center of Internal Affairs Bodies. Establishing of the Center is required by the Agreement on Cooperation and Strategic Partnership, but people in Sukhumi organize meetings, fearing that it can lead to uniting ministries of the two countries, i.e. derogation of Abkhazia’s sovereignty.
However, according to Raul Khjimba, there are a lot of speculations about the topic: “Why do people worry about the issue? Yes, there were questions on projects which we have received. They touched on staff schedule, investigative activities; and the Abkhazian side directly stated on its vision. But people continue discussing of issues which are not relevant anymore. It is about coordination of activities between structures of the Abkhazian Interior Ministry and the Russian Interior Ministry, about creation of necessary conditions for a struggle against cybercrimes. We have a lot to protect today. These are computer programs which are installed in the National Bank and programs of our mobile providers. If we want to live in a normal, civilized society, the coordination is necessary. The inter-governmental organization is similar to Interpol, but all issues which touch on activities of the structure on our territory will be restricted by the Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia.”
