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Abkhazia – a state unrecognised by the international community and dependent on Russia – has features of a democracy, including political pluralism. This is manifested through regularly held elections, which are a time of genuine competition between candidates, and through a wide range of media, including the pro-opposition private TV station Abaza. more »
The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, suggested during his working visit to the separatist republic of Abkhazia on 2-3 October that Russia would protect maritime traffic to and from Abkhazia, and defend Abkhazian interests on the international stage. An agreement on establishing visa-free movement was also signed during the visit. Russia is increasing its support for Sukhumi to demonstrate that it believes that Abkhazia's secession is non-negotiable; the assistance it has offered to the separatist republic may also signal that Moscow will support the present separatist leader Sergey Bagapsh in the presidential election scheduled for this autumn. more »
On 3 September, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Andrei Nesterenko stated that the Georgian coastguard's practice of seizing commercial vessels going to or from Abkhazia threatened to increase tension in the region, and could lead to "serious armed incidents". The day before, the Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh announced that he had given an order for Georgian warships entering "the territorial waters of Abkhazia" to be destroyed, and described Georgia's activities as "piracy". The likelihood of armed incidents in the waters in question is indeed quite high, although at this stage it does not seem that they could serve as a pretext for a new Russian-Georgian war. more »
On 20 August, the Georgian coast guard detained a vessel flying the Cambodian flag on its course from the separatist region of Abkhazia to Turkey. This was the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent weeks. The Abkhazian authorities have accused the Georgian government of 'piracy', and called on the UN and other organisations for assistance. Even though the measures Tbilisi has undertaken are justified from the legal point of view, the question of sea passage to and from Abkhazia may trigger a new escalation of tension between Georgia and Russia. more »
On 21 June, a bomb attack was launched against a European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) patrol in Georgia, killing one person. The incident is a sign of the general rise in tension around the conflict zones in Georgia, which has been observed since mid-June. more »
