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Abkhazia: Roundtable With Member of German Bundestag Aims to overcome International Isolation

February 17, 2017

Photo courtesy of mikesub @flick.com

A roundtable discussion entitled “Abkhazia and Europe: Rapprochement” was held on 15 February 2017 at the Caucasus nation’s Permanent Representation in Berlin. Under the aegis of Ms Khibla Amichba, Plenipotentiary for Abkhazia, and Mr Christian Haase, Member of the Bundestag, participants discussed the consequences of Abkhazia’s international isolation and agreed on the need to find ways to tap into the country’s considerable potential for interactions with its European partners.

Below is an article published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia:

On February 15 [2017] at the Permanent Representative office of the Republic of Abkhazia in Germany was held a round table “Abkhazia and Europe: rapprochement”, organized by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Abkhazia Khibla Amichba with the participation of deputy of the German Bundestag Christian Haase (CDU party).

The round table was also attended by the staff of the Bundestag Andreas Yan, Josephine Barisich, Marianne Voigt, Head of Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Germany Dr. Andreas Teuber, spokesman for the Berghoff foundation Oliver Wolle, political scientist Andranik Aslanyan and Caucasus expert Oliver Myuzer, as well as a representative of the Abkhaz Diaspora in Berlin Valentina Margania.

According to the Plenipotentiary of Abkhazia Khibla Amichba, for the first time the meeting was attended by the German Bundestag deputy Christian Haase (CDU party). “In our view, this is very important – to be heard by German politicians and experts” – she added.

Roundtable’s main focus was on such topics as overcoming the problem of a comprehensive international isolation of Abkhazia, its citizens and the range of questions posed by it: visas, participation in educational projects, international exhibitions, festivals, access to health care and others.

“Unfortunately, the fact remains that even the deputies of the Parliament of Abkhazia because of unresolved visa problems could not go to a scheduled meeting with their German colleagues. The participants of the meeting – each with its own point of view – characterized Abkhazia as having a long history, a considerable potential and interesting in every way for the Europeans. We elaborated the age-old traditional ties of Europe and Abkhazia, the commonality of basic values, humanitarian issues, realities and prospects. The need for the continuation of our contacts, meetings at the level of experts, academics, MPs in Germany, as well as in Abkhazia, was highlighted”- stressed Khibla Amichba.

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