It's been 25 years since you started the war in Abkhazia and proclaimed independence.
After winning the war, Abkhazia proclaimed independence. On 26 November 1994, we adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia, in which Abkhazia was defined as a sovereign, secular, independent, legal and democratic state. This was only the beginning of a struggle for the right to sovereignty.

Why did you choose the path of unilateral independence?
We made a unilateral appeal for independence because we had no other way. We had chosen before the conquest of the Georgians and, as a result of our decision, Georgia responded with violence. He sent the army to our territory, and Georgia began the war.

Did you then believe that the independence approved by the two parties could be possible?
Georgia has always been against our independence and, in understanding this, we decided to proclaim unilateral independence, always in the hope that the international community will recognize our independence.

There has been little blood spilled by the camino.Las wars
are always negative and in ours it also caused great pain. However, in the case of the abjaso no one asked us for an opinion about our status. What is more, as a result of our decision we were attacked by the Georgian army and, in view of this, we had to choose between defending our territory and our families.

You had to face a seven-year lockdown. It has been 16 years without any international recognition. How do we deal with such a situation?
Faced with the entire blockade of the international community, we had two options: Return to Georgia or live under punishment and without economic development. A referendum was organised in 1999 to clarify this issue and in the vote 98% of the abasses voted in favour of an independent state. We could say that the international economic blockade broke the desire to have an independent state.

In 2008, recognition came from Russia and other countries such as Venezuela or Nicaragua. What had changed? This
is a historic event of great importance, not only for our country, but also because it represented a major change in the system of international relations. In our case, we go from not being recognized to being recognized, that is, to being part of international law. Even though we lack recognition from the UN countries, we can say that recognition from the international community will now be a matter of time. Sooner or later, recognition of international countries will come.

Today, you continue in the ‘technical war’. Why cannot the conflict be resolved politically? When
Russia and five other states recognized our independence, the conflict entered one of their parameters. There are no more wars, no more deaths. However, Georgia continues to claim Abkhazia as part of the other territory and that is where the problem lies. The Georgian authorities do not understand that they cannot govern our territory without the will of the people and will therefore always be prepared to use force. For our part, we will always be ready to sign disarmament and to establish diplomatic relations with Georgia as a sovereign and independent State.

Georgia has said on more than one occasion that it will never accept the independence of Abkhazia.
They continue to deny the new political reality of Abkhazia. But for us, the confession of Georgia has not been much less terrible. In hard times we survive without their recognition and now, moreover, thanks to our State we are stronger than before. We have one clear thing about our future: we are and will remain a sovereign and independent state.

As far as Catalonia is concerned, how do you see the situation?
We continue with great attention and interest and believe that the European Union should take into account the views of the Catalan people. After Scotland and Brexit, now comes the case of Catalonia. I am convinced that the struggle of the Catalan people will convey a great deal of strength to other peoples in Europe who historically want to be sovereign. On the other hand, the most important thing is to undertake without violence and, as far as possible, to enable dialogue.

Have the results of the referendum in Catalonia been successful?
Yes, of course.

Spain has described the vote and, in general, the process of independence of Catalonia as "illegal". In such cases, should the law or the will of the people be prioritized? International law
implies respect for the will of the people, always with respect for the principles of the territoriality of the sovereign State. So everyone does their own reading about it. But for us the will of the people is sacred.

The Spanish Government has chosen the route of the Spanish Police and Justice in Catalonia. Do you think that the political solution is possible? To the extent that Spain has
used violence against the Catalan people, it will be difficult to return to the starting point of the conflict and, consequently, to start a negotiating process from scratch. I do not wish anyone war, and that is why I believe that the conflict needs a political solution. An intermediary is needed in order to reach an agreement on commitments.

According to international law, Catalonia has no right to declare independence unilaterally. But Kosovo does.
It is also applicable in the case of seed. International policy is based on a double standard which, unfortunately, responds to geopolitical interests and not to norms of international law.

What can the demand for independence bring to Catalonia?The
demand for independence is only the beginning of a new struggle. When independence is proclaimed, you have the need for international recognition; for example, to sign agreements or to build diplomatic relations. It is not an easy thing, but every people who are sovereign and choose to decide their future will always have to sacrifice something.

And to Europe, what problems can the claim of Catalonia bring?
I believe that, as is a new phenomenon in Europe, it will bring difficulties to Catalonia. Faced with this, Europe must find ways to adapt and take on a new reality based on human rights. At the same time, I hope that the issue of Catalonia will help us a great deal.

Would Abkhazia accept the independence of Catalonia?
If the Catalan authorities demanded it, we would be prepared to defend the independence of Catalonia.