Scandal with Polish general

By Spartak Zhidkov, Sukhumi, exclusively to VK

Negotiations on Georgian-Abkhaz reconciliation have been going on for
almost 20 years. All this time the representatives of international
organizations have been taking an active part in the process. The basic
document on peaceful conflict settlement was signed in Moscow on April 4,
1994, with the help of the UN, and since then not a single important round
of negotiations between Georgia and Abkhazia goes by without the
participation of the West. The UN mission was sent away from Abkhazia in
June, 2009, on the initiative of President Bagapsh, but the representatives
of the EU and OSCE continued mediating the negotiations. All these
discussions were relatively peaceful, but the European diplomats had to
accustom themselves to the fact that the negotiations could turn into a
shooting war at any moment, but after that the conflict parties would still
be ready to resume negotiations.
The EU remained the mediator in the five-lateral meetings on the
Georgian-Abkhaz border that were regular until recently. Georgia,
Abkhazia, Russia, the EU and the UN participated in them. The agenda of
these meetings hasn’t changed since the times when Russian peacekeeping
forces were dispatched to the region: the prevention of terrorist
activity in the Galsk region, the border regime, the situation with the Georgian
inhabitants of Abkhazia and so on, i.e. all the questions discussed in
Geneva but impossible to resolve unless on site.
All official connections between Georgia and Abkhazia were severed
after 2008, but it is impossible to sever the connection between the two
territories via the Inguri River. So while people and goods cross the
border- which is at the same time the front line - certain issues need to
be settled. So the five-sided meetings were beneficial for all parties
involved, as they didn’t depend on the general political situation in
Georgia or in the world.
So the unexpectedly harsh statement made by the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry
regarding the head of the EU observer mission, General Tyshkevich,
declaring him to be persona non grata on Abkhaz territory, became quite a
sensation. It was the first time that the Abkhaz side had made such a step in
these 20 years. However, this statement (immediately declared to be ‘excessive’ by the
EU side) suggested that General Tyshkevich was hampering the
traditional dialogue. So Abkhazia is not changing its general political
course, but it puts the appropriateness of the multi-lateral format of the
negotiations under question.
Nevertheless, Western partners came down on this statement pretty hard.
Catherine Ashton said that the request of a new EU mission head is
unacceptable, as it would violate the principle of the independence of each
negotiating party. The reaction of the EU is not unexpected, as well as the
allegations that the scandal was orchestrated from Moscow (although no one
is able to explain why the Kremlin needed such a scandal now)
It is interesting to note that, even though the Georgian side is
discontent with the move by the Abkhaz FM, it had to admit that the
complaint was well-grounded. The complaints of the Abkhaz side might be
described in two clauses: first of all, General Tyshkevich behaves in an
arrogant and undiplomatic manner. The general, who headed the so-called
‘Polish’ occupation sector in Iraq after 2003, apparently agrees with his
colleagues in Washington that the Abkhaz are nothing but rebels and
separatists. Secondly, the Abkhaz side is disappointed that the EU
representative refuses to react to the diversions in the Galsk region and
to the formation of ‘unofficial’ armed detachments concentrated on the
Georgian side of the border – Abkhazia had a bitter experience with similar
detachments in the 90s and early 2000s.
Tyshkevich refused to investigate the murders of Abkhaz citizens in the
Galsk region until EU observers are allowed into the territory, but not
letting EU or UN observers onto its territory is a matter of principle for
the Abkhaz government, as the Abkhaz government can’t accept a UN
resolution that names Abkhazia as a part of Georgia. Back then the resolution
was vetoed by Russia, and now the Abkhaz government can’t change its
decision on the observers without damaging Russia’s and its own image.
The existence of the armed detachments was pointed out by Georgian
oppositionist Irakly Alasania on March 20. He, however, suggested that
these detachments could be used by President Saakashvili to pressure the
opposition on the eve of the parliamentary elections. But Abkhazia is
concerned with another scenario: it is well known that the Georgian
government usually takes some aggressive steps against Abkhazia and South
Ossetia on the eve of any significant election.
However, these were not Georgian detachments, but the EU general who
turned out to be at the centre of the scandal. With the support of Russia, Abkhazia can take a strict position without doing any damage to itself. But
this is also a matter of honour for the EU now. However, Tyshkevich’s powers
as the head of the EU mission expire this August, so the multi-lateral
negotiations won’t be frozen for long in any case.