Jun 28, 2011

Abkhazia: Former Georgian President Backs Recognition of Abkhazian Independence


Eduard Shevardnadze, President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, has emphasised the impractical nature of continuing to ignore Abkhazian calls for independence

Below is an article published by Bloomberg: 

Former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said it would be “wise” for Georgia to recognize the breakaway region of Abkhazia as an independent country.

“It’s clear Abkhazia can’t be a normal region of Georgia any longer,” Shevardnadze said in an interview published today in the Asaval-Dasavali newspaper. Recognizing the region would improve relations between Georgians and Abkhazians, he added, the newspaper said.

Shevardnadze was responding to comments by Mamuka Areshidze, an analyst at the Caucasus Strategic Research Center, who said two weeks ago that Georgia should consider recognizing Abkhazia’s independence, Asaval-Dasavali reported.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia, another separatist region, declared independence after a five-day war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. Only Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the South Pacific nation of Nauru recognize their independence. Georgia maintains Russia occupied the two regions after the conflict.

 

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