The Social Justice Center responds to the transfer of the Bichvinta state country house and 186 hectares of adjoining land in Abkhazia to the Russian Federation and urges the government to take prompt action to halt Russia's annexation policy in Abkhazia and to intensify efforts in the direction of peace policy.

On 11 July 2022, it became publicly known that the parliament of the de-facto Republic of Abkhazia initiated discussions to transfer the complex of state cottages situated in the Bichvinta-Museri natural reserve. Sokhum and Moscow signed the agreement on the transfer of this territory on 19 January. However, the Abkhazian public only learnt about the covert transaction seven months later, when the parliament started publicly discussing this matter. The agreement between Moscow and Sukhumi calls for the transfer of all buildings and infrastructure of the state country estate to the Russian Federal Security Service, as well as a 49-year lease on the surrounding 186 hectares. The Abkhaz society responded to these developments with outrage and protest. As a response to the protest, the de-facto president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, asserts that Russia is Abkhazia's only option, given that it is at war with its "neighbours" and is not recognised by the West. Nonetheless, it seems that Abkhaz society is wholly opposed to this idea, and the concept of a referendum titled "Do people trust the existing parliament?" has also been proposed.

The Georgian central government has not even released an official statement in response to the ongoing events in Abkhazia. This would be a manifestation of actively bringing this issue to the attention of the international community and organisations, sending a diplomatic signal of discontent with Russia and expressing support for the Abkhazian society. This kind of rhetoric has been a routine element of Georgian diplomatic language and practise for many years, and it is unclear what led to its reversal.

In addition, given that the activation of Russia's annexation policy in the conflict regions is accompanied by clear dissatisfaction among local elites and society, and concurrently, Russia has made statements regarding the future reduction of funding for local authorities, it is crucial for the Georgian authorities to work on strengthening the peace policy and offering the Abkhazian and South Ossetian political elites alternative economic and social opportunities. But unfortunately, the Georgian government also seems passive and inactive in this regard.

Overall, it is evident that the Abkhazian society has a strong desire to retain and safeguard its identity, including from Russia's annexation policy, even though Russia is seen as the sole safety guarantor for the existing Abkhazian elites. Unfortunately, these processes in Abkhazian society remain obscure to Georgian society and the political elites, and sadly, these historical processes of resistance are not adequately accounted for in the conflict transformation and peace-building process. Moreover, the political, human, and economic resources deployed by the state for the efficacy of the peace policy are very limited, indicating that the issue is not of high priority.

Please note that the Georgian government has yet to approve a new policy plan on the occupation and annexation of conflict regions. Furthermore, in terms of peace policy, the Georgian government continues to rely on an out-of-date and less relevant engagement and cooperation strategy document from 2010. After ten years in power, when the current administration limited the resources necessary to develop trust and political agreement among the population, it is evident that achieving fundamental changes around these issues is unfortunately becoming practically impossible.

According to our assessment, efforts to restrain Russia's annexation policy, on the one hand, and a consistent policy aimed at building peace to promote the de-isolation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the restoration of political relations, on the other, should not be viewed as contradictory processes. On the contrary, they are more balanced and complementary efforts with political, security, and social implications.

In light of this, the Social Justice Center calls upon the Georgian authorities to:

• Bring to the attention of the international community the concerns surrounding the transfer of the Bichvinta state estate and adjoining lands to Russia, and to utilise all available political and diplomatic means to halt the process.
• Assess and present a report to the public on what the government is doing in response to the activation and implementation of Russia's annexation policy in the region, as well as what political, diplomatic tactics and measures it is deploying in this respect.
• In the present setting, to increase the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict's transformation and peace-building process and to develop acceptable and engaging economic and social options for local elites and society.

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