DECREE ISSUED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ABKHAZIA on Decree issued by the State council of Georgia “on Regulation of Problems on Formation and Operation of the Border zone of the Republic of Georgia”

DECREE ISSUED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ABKHAZIA on Decree issued by the State council of Georgia “on Regulation of Problems on Formation and Operation of the Border zone of the Republic of Georgia”

On 7 May of 1992 the State Council of the Republic of Georgia issued the Decree “on regulation of problems on formation and operation of the border zone of the Republic of Georgia” aimed at regulating the border-guard service and establishing the special regime along the Russian-Georgia state border that territorially belongs to Abkhazia.

The frontier stretches over 21 km. The collective farms of Salmenskiy and Mikelripshskiy, reserves of Pskhui and Rodinskiy, as well as some woods of the forestry farms that belong to Abkhazia are brought under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Georgia. The rules of management of the rural territories within 21-km zone have been established.

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Georgia has been entrusted with a task of setting the passport regime and elaborating the programme on construction of frontier facilities and communication means in this zone.

Given Decree runs counter to Articles 11, 72 and 93 of the Constitution of Abkhazia and the Declaration on State Sovereignty. The Republic of Abkhazia enjoys sovereignty, has its state borders, independently decides issues related to the administrative-territorial settlement, performs the measures on its territory aimed at strengthening of the territorial integrity.

The Supreme council of the Republic of Abkhazia decrees:

1. To declare null and void on the territory of Abkhazia the decree issued by the State Council of the Republic of Georgia “on regulation of problems on formation and operation of the border zone of the Republic of Georgia” of 7 May 1992.

2. The further decisions of the State Council of the Republic of Georgia that infringe the Constitutional basis and state sovereignty of Abkhazia shall not be implemented on the territory of Abkhazia since their adoption.

3. The coordinating council of the activity of the military units shall elaborate the action plan for determining the legal aspects of the state borders of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia V. Ardzinba

3 June 1992

(Newspaper “Respublika Abkhazia”, # 104, 10 June 1992)