SUKHUMI. May 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Abkhaz Prime Minister Raul Khajimba has rejected a proposal from Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to unite in a single Georgian state. The Georgian president made this proposal to the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and Ossetia.
"There can be no discussion of unification between Abkhazia and Georgia in a single state," Khajimba told Interfax on Wednesday.
"Abkhazia has finally established its status. The republic has adopted the constitution of an independent state and the status of Abkhazia cannot and will not be subject to discussion," the Abkhaz prime minister said.
"As regards the wishes of the Georgian side, wishes do not always correspond with reality," Khajimba said.
"Sukhumi does not believe the address from Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to the people of Abkhazia about friendship and peace, made with tanks looming in the background," Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba told Interfax on Wednesday.
Earlier that day, Saakashvili called on Abkhazia to begin negotiations on Abkhazia's status as part of Georgia during a military parade marking Georgian Independence Day.
"Such a statement made against the background of a military parade is perceived as an attempt to use psychological pressure to offer Sukhumi a totally unacceptable model of its political status," Shamba said.
Abkhazia "has refused many times to discuss the issue of its political status because this issue has already been resolved by the people of Abkhazia and has been confirmed in a referendum. Abkhazia's position is firm: to preserve its independence," he said.
"The Georgian leaders are not drawing any conclusions and continue to talk about peace against a background of threats and psychological pressure," Shamba said.
"In earlier years, the Georgian authorities spoke about strengthening peace and trust. However, at the same time they sent saboteurs into Abkhazia," he said.
"Only dialogue with Georgia on further peaceful coexistence is possible, for which we now need to begin restoring trust between the sides," Shamba said.