Maxim Gvindzhia insists Abkhazia is not occupied territory

Maxim Gvindzhia, minister of foreign affairs of Abkhazia, calls the statements by US State Secretary Hillary Clinton and representatives of Georgian authorities to the effect of occupation of Georgia by Russian troops as fantasy.

"Our American partners loose self-control, fantasize and make loud statements", says Gvindzhia in connection with the concern of Clinton about the construction in South Ossetia and Abkhazia of Russian permanent military bases.

For reference, in the course of visit to Georgia, US State Secretary Hillary Clinton has confirmed the support by the USA of independence and territorial integrity of Georgia and stressed that the USA expects from Russia fulfillment of the 2008 agreement on cease-fire and withdrawal of its troops from the Georgian territory.

"International law contains clear definitions of what is an occupied territory", says Gvindzhia. According to him, Abkhazia is not an occupied territory. "Secondly, the Russian troops stay there on the basis of bilateral inter-state agreements between Abkhazia and Russia. Moreover, Abkhazia is governed by our own efforts, rather than by military authorities", states the head of Abkhazia MoFA in response to Clinton statements.

Moscow does not see anything terrible in Clinton's statements about occupation of Georgia. "If mistress Clinton were not in Tbilisi, the accents would be different. It is the specifics of political rhetoric", explains Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of State Duma international affairs committee.