In Abkhazia, they oppose the transfer of state dacha in Pitsunda to Russia
Residents of separatist Abkhazia oppose the transfer of the former residence of Soviet leaders in Pitsunda to Russia. Over the past month, actions have been held in the occupied mass production, activists are constantly picketing, covering a topic that is also actively discussed on social networks.
The authorities substantiate their decision by the decision of 1995, according to which Abkhazia transferred to Russia “for gratuitous acquisition” three state dachas numbered 8, 9 and 10.
A new agreement on the transfer to the ownership of the Russian Federation of all the buildings of the complex, located on 186 hectares of the unique Pitsunda Reserve, as well as 115 hectares of water area and a military city of the 9th KGB Directorate with security facilities, was signed on January 19, 2022 in Moscow.
However, after protests, instead of accepting ratification, on July 21 the parliament of the unrecognized Abkhazia decided to approve the Constitutional Court to check how it complies with the constitution.
Arguments and counterarguments
According to the de facto President of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhaniya, in 2020, the proposal to transfer the state dacha in Pitsunda to Russia “in ownership, in a tactful manner” was made during a meeting with him by President Vladimir Putin, who had already visited there several times.
Bzhaniya proposed to convince the opponents of the new side on this object with the argument that Abkhazia is indebted to Russia, and that Sukhumi does not have the funds to repair the buildings crossed in 1958-1961. According to Bzhaniya, since then the dacha has not been repaired.
“This is the place where our main guest arrives … Now there are new technologies, new security conditions for protected persons … I can say for sure that the Russian Federation can do without this dacha, and we can do without the support of the Russian Federation, its armed forces and its structure who guard our borders? This is a big question,” the de facto president said on July 21 at a meeting with the population of the Gulripsh district.
However, Bzhaniya still did not convince them that he was right, and after an intensified emotional reaction to Bzhaniya’s request to refuse arrest on a new initiative on the Pitsunda Dacha, the de facto president accidentally lost the meeting.
Opponents of the new side say that Russia already “owns for life” the Pitsunda state task, respectively, they do not make sense in forming a new side and in “changing the status of the object”.
As for the argument of separatist powers to account for funds for the repair of the dacha, opponents of the new consideration believe that Sukhumi can easily solve this issue by agreeing with Moscow on the allocation of funds within the framework of Russian financial assistance.
Annexation, protest and “strange silence”
Conflictologist Paata Zakareishvili, former Minister of State for Reconciliation and Equality, noted in the comments by the Voice of America Russian Service that the main difference between the two countries is from 1995. and the new, not yet ratified, is that, according to the increased agreement, the natural environment, although it does not require access to the territory leased by the Russian Federation, but at the same time they could move freely along those roads and places around the Pitsunda state dachas. But according to the new version of the initiative, Russia completely fences off 186 hectares – with its own roads and villages, which, most likely, are dangerous for the few that inhabit them, emissions – and create an autonomous summer cottage, access to which without the use of public permission will not even have de facto president of the breakaway region.
“This irritates the Abkhaz, who feel that they are not particularly indebted to Russia, as they are convinced that Russia needs Abkhazia to place its bases in counterbalances and to oversee its exploration in the Black Sea. In Abkhazia, confirmations are heard that Russia is not paying enough for all this and that it takes much more from Abkhazia than it gives,” Zakareishvili.
The expert said that the discussion of the issue of the Pitsunda state dacha has been going on for the past 12 years and that this has always been aroused with discontent and protest on the part of the inhabitants of Abkhazia. At the same time, the conflictologist of the economy is that the Russian part of why is now answering this question, i.e. against the backdrop of Russian invasions of Ukraine and related problems. Zakareishvili believes that such haste on the part of officials caused “a certain panic.”
“I think in Moscow it will come that during the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia is gradually offering its positions, and just in case, when you can be guaranteed to get the best piece of Abkhazia, with a microclimate regime. Because in reality this territory, just like the rest of Abkhazia, is already in the use of Russia – so there is no immediate need to solve this problem, ”says the conflictologist.
Zakareishvili also noted the “strange silence” of Tbilisi in case of occurrence. According to him, the policy of the current authorities, which irritates the rights of the Georgian Dream, is characterized as “the policy of not irritating Russia”, does not stand up to criticism, since silence does not appear “in any form” during the annexation of the territory.
“If Tbilisi is afraid of not spoiling relations with Moscow because of – in order to avoid new aggression, as our leaders explain to us every day – then what constitutes an undisguised and obvious annexation of territory? I think this is aggression. What then is the point of such a policy? We are suspected of allergies, how does Moscow seize our land? That is, the Abkhazians say that this is an annexation, but the Georgians are simply silent? This is no good, it’s just not serious,” says Paata Zakareishvili.
It is noteworthy that at the time of writing the article, the Georgian authorities did not withdraw comments in connection with Russia’s plans for the Pitsunda complex and unrest in the Abkhaz society.
We remind you that as a result of the Russian-Georgian war, in 2008 Russia recognized the independence of the Georgian regions and deployed additional troops and territories in their territories. All the states of the world – with the exception of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and research – are examining the data of regions such as Georgia in case of occurrence under Russian occupation.