Russia’s Lavrov: International recognition of Abkhazia's ‘independence’ irreversible
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, August 29
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov claims that the process of international recognition of Abkhazia, which is a breakaway region of Georgia, as an independent state is irreversible.
Lavrov noted that ‘the process of recognition’ started during Sergey Bagapsh rule who was the so-called second President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied region.
"I am confident that this process is irreversible. Abkhazia has shown itself as a democratic state, the foundations of which were laid by Bagapsh," the politician said.
He noted that the first country to recognize Abkhazia was Nicaragua, followed by Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. According to him, now Syria has also joined the group of countries that recognized breakaway Abkhazia.
Lavrov even talked about his memories during his meetings with Bagapsh in Moscow and breakaway Sokhumi.
“One of the best memories in my career is when we walked around on the embankment in Sokhumi in April 2011, shortly before his untimely death. We walked around, then stopped at the famous Brekhalovka cafe, had some coffee there. I saw how people treat him, how he talks to his citizens - absolutely openly, without any equivocations, discusses real problems and even asks for advice," he remembered.
Russian FM said he is proud of being friends with ‘this amazing person’ [Bagapsh], adding he will always cherish the memories about him and his contributions to Russian-Abkhazian relations.
Moreover, de facto Abkhazian Foreign Minister Daur Kove told Russian media that Tbilisi has to reconcile itself to the fact that Abkhazia will never be part of Georgia again.
Kove’s statement was a response to the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who earlier wrote in a Facebook that she expects to secure the return of occupied Abkhazia and the second region South Ossetia during her presidency.
The so-called Foreign Minister of Abkhazia claimed that statements are “propaganda cliches that Georgian politicians are accustomed to.” He said that Georgia has to face reality.
“Abkhazia will never be part of Georgia again. Georgia needs to accept reality and build the normal full-fledged interstate, good-neighborly relations with us,” he said.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as ‘independent states’ on August 26, 2008, in the wake of a five-day August war, which left 20% of Georgia occupied by its northern neighbor.
After this, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Vanuatu also recognized these regions as countries, however, the latter withdrew its recognition in 2013. Last year, Syria also expressed its support to these de-facto regions.
The rest of the international society says Abkhazia and South Ossetia are parts of Georgia and call on Russia to withdraw its forces from these territories.
