by Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for VK
Staff of the Gagra and Gudautsky sanatoriums have been warned about closing of the Yuzhni sanatorium complex, belonging to the Russian Defense Ministry. Thus, staff of two more sanatoriums in Abkhazia will be left without work, just as 1300 people working in the Sukhumi sanatorium, closed for renovation in 2011.
Georgia is monitoring the process, believing that Moscow is “punishing” Sukhumi for being stubborn in bilateral relations.
Abkhazia is reluctant in commenting on closing of the Gagra and Gudautsky sanatoriums. It is a matter of cautiousness, unwillingness to wash dirty linen in public and rules formed after Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia as an independent state. The Russian Defense Ministry closed the Sukhumi sanatorium complex for renovation last year. Information on the process was published only in the Internet. The three sanatoriums were passed to the Russian for exploitation (not as property) according to the agreement on Russian military bases in Abkhazia. One of the points states that Russia has the right for renovation, modernization, reconstruction and demolition of property and build at sanatorium territories.
Russia has property in Abkhazia for functioning of the military base. Giya Lomia, an expert for Abkhazia, said that there has been a tendency of local Abkhaz managers being replaced, especially on the Georgian-Abkhaz border (River Inguri), now occupied by Russian border guards.
The Russian Defense Ministry informed staff of the Sukhumi sanatorium that they will be redundant until renovation is accomplished last year. Protests at the parliament and the sanatorium (where the Russian Embassy was situated) brought no results. Abkhaz MPs were hinting that Moscow was discontented by Abkhazia’s refusal to ratify the agreement on bases signed by presidents of the two states on February 17, 2010. The parliament ratified the agreement on the combined Russian base in Abkhazia on December 27, 2011. Experts point out other disagreements between Russia and Abkhazia. “Abkhaz authorities have not returned apartments to thousands of Russians who fled the republic in the 1990s, but wanted to return after Russia recognized independence”, Zurab Gogoberidze, an independent expert of the Iveroni paper, told VK. “Moreover, Moscow is clearly discontented with the fact that Abkhaz authorities refuse to sell the land and best resorts to Russian business ready to invest billions of dollars, on condition that Abkhazia would turn into part of Big Sochi in all aspects. Such prospects are not attractive to Abkhazians”, the expert notes.
Tamaz Khubua, a deputy of the Abkhaz Supreme Council in exile, sees no politics in the issue. “The Gagra sanatorium is simply a very juicy contract and seems to have attracted attention of Russia’s rich people”, he believes.
Timur Mzhavia, former Chairman of the Abkhaz Supreme Council in exile, sees a military strategic case. “Russian generals absolutely indifferent to the fate of the unemployed and the public view of Abkhazia in general. They continue militarization of Abkhazia to prevent Georgia from joining NATO. Sanatoriums may be rebuilt to accommodate the military”, the official says.
Viewing opinions of experts inspires the philosophic principle of Occam’s razor, when the simplest explanation turns out to be the most close to truth. The simplest explanation is that the Russian Defense Ministry wanted to take over sanatoriums as property, because investing billions into renovation and modernization of someone else’s property is illogical. There is such phenomenon as pressure on the owner, the Abkhaz government. One way or another, closing of all sanatoriums exploited by the Russian Defense Ministry would leave about 2,000-3,000 people without jobs. Together with their families, it means about 5,000-6,000 people. Most of Abkhaz population works at sanatoriums and resorts, practically the only sphere of economy offering workplaces.
