Jemal Gamakharia: In fact, an agreement was reached in Geneva to restore the conflict prevention format in Gali, but the Georgian side is not going to go there with a foreign passport and get some kind of stamp

In fact, an agreement has been reached in Geneva to restore the format of the Gali conflict prevention and response mechanism, but the Georgian side is not going to go there with a foreign passport and get some kind of stamp, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, Jemal Gamakharia, said at a press conference held at the media holding "Kvira" press club.

According to him, this very issue became an obstacle, due to which the restoration of the Gali format was postponed for several months.

"There was a Gali format - a mechanism for conflict prevention and response. In Geneva, in fact, an agreement was reached to restore this format, but another issue arose here - the Georgian side is not going to go there with a foreign passport and get some kind of stamp, there is a categorical refusal to this, and this delayed the renewal of this format for several months. We recently heard the statement of the de facto governor of Gali, Pilia, that some space is being arranged on the edge of Enguri, on the other side, right after you cross the bridge, before the checkpoint, where these meetings will take place. This is again part of the Geneva format. What we see periodically in Tskhinvali - it will be the same format," said Jemal Gamakharia.

In addition, he assessed the issue of the online meeting between the secretary of the de facto "security council" of occupied Abkhazia, Sergey Shamba, and the member and former chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, Vakhtang Kolbaia, and noted that no new policy or policy change in relation to occupied Abkhazia was behind it.

"The fact itself is very interesting, because we don't remember such a thing after 2008 - no meeting took place here. It was the initiative of the journalist to do an interview with both and ask the same questions. Perhaps you should pay attention that Shamba didn't even greet Mr. Kolbaia, he just started answering the question. I want to tell you with certainty and categorically that there is absolutely no new policy behind this. I, as the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia, confirm to you that there is no place for any change of policy, formation of any new format here. It is not related to the railway, the restoration of which I also want to assure you will not happen while this territory is occupied. This has nothing to do with the terminal. It was only the initiative of this journalist. This is not a party to the conflict for us either, because this territory is occupied and the party to the conflict is the occupier, not Sergey Shamba, Bzhania, etc. There was no negotiation with these people, there is not, and it is not planned in the future," said Gamakharia.

One of the issues he spoke about is the construction of a terminal by the occupied Abkhazia, which the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia called an illegal terminal.

"Of course, this is an illegal terminal, as well as the checkpoint that operates there. This so-called border is also illegal and the terminal being built there is also illegal. In the Abkhaz society, there has been a dispute for years with this checkpoint and the so-called terminal. During all these 30 years, in fact, the movement of people both there and here did not stop. They transfer something here, they take much more there. At the markets, you will see many Abkhazians with bags, and this happens every day, they move, get off, trade, and many people live by this. Those standing at the so-called border make a lot of money from this - if an ordinary person brings a small bag, s/he also pays something unofficially. In this regard, there has been a very big discussion in the Abkhazian society for years, the opposition always criticizes the "authorities" - "that this money goes into your pockets, and isn't it better that the terminal be officially built, official customs be signed, and this money that goes into your pockets, the opposition tells the government, to go to the budget." This led to this construction, which is not finished," said the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia.