STATEMENT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA

Today, when in the course of genocide and ethnic cleansing, initiated by the separatist regime of Sokhumi, more than 300 000 people were ousted from the Abkhazian territory, the so called government of the self-declared Abkhaz Republic is going to launch a large-scale privatization process of the state property.

Based on the information at our disposal, a Committee of State Property Management was created in Sokhumi, mainly targeted at privatization of the state property on the occupied territory, or selling out the state property, which had mostly been created by the hands of the present-day IDPs.

The Parliament of Georgia is categorically denouncing the provocative actions of the separatist regime, conforming one more time that in compliance with the Decrees of the Parliament, dated March 10, 1994 and April 17, 1996, all the legal acts, as well as all other acts subject to law, which are contradictory to Georgia’s legislation and are adopted by the structures subdued to the separatist grouping or being in alliance with them, will be annulated and declared illegal. The same rule will be applied to all the decisions or civil agreements, violating the public property rights on the territory of Georgia.

As it is widely known, the world community has recognized Georgian State as integral with its initial territory – Abkhazia, but as a result of the military conflict heated by the separatists, so far, Georgia’s factual jurisdiction is suspended on Abkhazian territory, which serves as a pre-condition to a number of illegal actions inflicted by them. The attempt of conducting privatization in Abkhazia is yet one more manifestation of downright impertinence of the regime.

The Parliament of Georgia considers the above mentioned action as voluntary and is calling all physical and juridical persons within the country, as well as outside it not to become a victim of one more provocation and adventurism of the Sokhumi separatist regime.

The Parliament of Georgia is stating that launching the privatization process in Abkhazia will only be available after the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity and return of the greater part of local population – now the IDPs - to their former dwelling places.

April 1, 1998, Tbilisi

(Abkhaz Issue in Official Documents, Legislative and Executive organs of Georgia, International Organizations, 1989-1999, part II, 1995-1999; authors: Vakhtang Kholbaia, Teimuraz Chakhrakia, Rafiel Gelantia, David Latsuzbaia, Tb., 2000, p. 201)