“Unfortunately, the Georgian Embassy in Turkey protested against participation of the Republic of Abkhazia as an independent state and sent a note of protest to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The organizers of the exhibition at the last moment were forced by to exclude Abkhazia from participating countries, and notified the RA CCI about this, ” the RA CCI website says.

The decision to take part in the exhibition was made by the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in advance. There were lengthy negotiations for registration and development of the pavilion scheme, the necessary sums for rent and decoration of the pavilion were listed.

A similar case occurred a week earlier, when the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry was refused to participate in the WorldFoodPoland exhibition of food and beverages in the capital of Poland, Warsaw. This exhibition is scheduled for April 5-7, 2022.

As the Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted, the exhibition organizers also referred to the Georgian Embassy's in Poland intervention and pressure from the Foreign Ministry.

“Such cases have long been no exception and have become a kind of “established tradition” for Georgia. Its embassies around the world react very quickly to the Chamber's of Commerce and Industry of Abkhazia participation in various events and impede this process in every possible way. At the same time, the Georgian side monitors the actions of the CCI, especially during restrictions associated with the spread of COVID-19.

Such actions cause serious damage to the activities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aimed at development of trade and economic relations of Abkhazia with foreign states. The Chamber constantly conducts such work with the aim of developing the foreign economic activity of the republic and promoting the efficiency of the export of domestic products, ” the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Abkhazia says.

Despite the obstacles and provocations made by Georgia, the RA CCI intends to continue to take part in exhibition and fair events, promote the positive image of the republic and deliver reliable information about Abkhazia to the world community.

CNR Food Istanbul is a unique business platform with over 1000 brands, targeting 35,000 professional visitors, supported by Istanbul Exporters Association. Food and beverage professionals from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Russia and the Balkans are opening up new business opportunities in the Turkish industry.

WorldFood Poland is the largest food exhibition in Poland, bringing together regional distributors, retailers, manufacturers and associations. The exhibition has established itself as a productive tool for communication with existing customers and business partners, as well as for meetings with potential partners.