German participation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict

In the 1870s, Russian Emperor Alexander II ordered the founding of German villages in Abkhazia near Sukhum , hoping that they would help civilize the annexed Caucasian tribes ^[3] . During World War I in 1918, worried about the safety of oil supplies from the Baku region, German General Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein sent a German Caucasian expedition to provide military support to the Georgian Democratic Republic in the war against the Bolsheviks in Abkhazia. ^[4] German General Erich Ludendorf stated that Georgia’s transformation into a German protectorate will provide access to the resources of the Caucasus independently of Turkey . ^[5] . In 1942, when the German offensive in southern Russia approached this area, the Soviet government ordered the Abkhaz Germans to resettle in Kazakhstan ^{[3] [6]} .

Georgia , together with Armenia and Azerbaijan , is located in the South Caucasus , south of Russia. This could give Europe direct access to the Caspian energy resources through the Nabucco pipeline . Germany stated that it felt a special responsibility as a broker in the region ^[7] . Germany is the coordinator of the "group of friends of Georgia" under the UN Secretary General and pays particular attention to the problems of relations between Georgia and those who want to separate Abkhazia and South Ossetia ^[8] . It is believed that Germany is the key to Georgia’s membership in NATO , and Germany’s close relations with Russia make it an important player in resolving the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict ^[9] .

At the end of the war in Abkhazia (1992-1993), a group of "friends of Georgia" was created with representatives of France , Great Britain , the USA , Germany and Russia to assist the UN Secretary General in a peaceful resolution of the conflict. In May 1996, ambassadors of five countries met in Sukhumi with President Vladislav Ardzinba to discuss options for resolving the conflict ^[10] . In 1997, they resumed meetings with the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations with the participation of representatives of the Russian Federation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ^[11] . At the end of 2000, the group prepared a draft document entitled “Basic principles for the distribution of powers between Tbilisi and Sukhumi”, in which Abkhazia is defined as a “sovereign entity” with a “special status” within Georgia ^[12] . In December 2004, group representatives met in Geneva to review the state of the Georgian-Abkhaz peace process. They emphasized that the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) should continue to be able to fulfill its mandate without hindrance. ^[13]

In July 2008, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier distributed the Georgia / Abkhazia: Elements for a Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict plan to the United Nations team of experts on Abkhazia ^[14] . The plan does not mention the territorial integrity of Georgia and recognizes the ongoing Russian presence in Abkhazia. The leaders of the warring parties reacted positively, although the Georgian side insisted on guarantees of the territorial integrity of Georgia. The plan requested both parties to avoid violence and engage in dialogue with the assistance of a group of friends of Georgia from the UN Secretary General (France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia and the United States). It also covered the issue of the return of displaced persons, facilitating trade between Abkhazia and Georgia, assistance in rebuilding and the creation of a working group to develop a draft political status for Abkhazia ^[15] . After the publication of the peace plan, Frank-Walter Steinmeier made a diplomatic visit to Tbilisi in order to reduce tension in the conflict zone, met with the President of Georgia and other leaders in Tbilisi, then went to Abkhazia to meet with Abkhaz leaders before flying to Moscow ^{[8] [9 ] [9 ] ]} . Later that month, German Ambassador to Georgia Patricia Flor accompanied US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza during a visit to Sukhumi to discuss the German peace plan with the actual Abkhaz leadership. The de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia Sergey Shamba noted that a possible participation in the planned Berlin meeting does not necessarily mean the resumption of direct talks by the Abkhaz side with the Georgian side. The Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vitaly Churkin also said that Moscow opposed the meeting of the Group of Friends in Berlin ^[16] .

German military observers and paramedics served in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone as part of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) ^{[17] [18]} . German participation began in 1993, when doctors and paramedics from the German armed forces began providing medical assistance to the UNOMIG headquarters in Sukhumi, as well as in the Gali and Zugdidi sectors ^{[19] [20]} . From 1993 to 2002, the head of UNOMIG was Dieter Boden from Germany ^{[21] [22]} . As an observer mission, UNOMIG did not play an effective role in the prevention of armed conflict in August 2008. ^[23] Germany has provided ongoing funding for the HALO Trust , which carries out mine clearance operations in Abkhazia ^[24] , and measures to restore and improve sanitation, health and education in the region ^[25] . German observers monitored the elections to the Abkhaz parliament in March 2007 ^[26] .