Abkhazia, recognised as independent by Russia, is a breakaway region from which former Soviet republic?
"Abkhazia passed a resolution, calling upon Russia, international organisations and the rest of the international community to recognise Abkhaz independence on the basis that Abkhazia possesses all the properties of an independent state. The United Nations has reaffirmed ""the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders"" and outlined the basic principles of conflict resolution which call for immediate return of all displaced persons and for non-resumption of hostilities. Georgia accuses the Abkhaz secessionists of having conducted a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing of up to 250,000 Georgians, a"
"International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Abkhazia and South Ossetia are partially recognised republics in the Caucasus, claiming independence from Georgia. Russia's initial recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occurred in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War, six months after the western recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo from Serbia in February 2008. This, and resultant non-recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by the West, has led to claims of hypocrisy and double standards on the part of both sides of the recognition divide. In total, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been recognised"
"Foreign relations of Abkhazia The Republic of Abkhazia is a self-proclaimed state recognized only by Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. (The first five of these are members of the United Nations, the latter three share similar lack of international recognition.) Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in 1999, but did not receive recognition from any UN member states until after the 2008 South Ossetia war. One of Abkhazia's main foreign policy goals is searching for further international recognition. <div> Even though Abkhazia has not been recognized by many states, it has unofficial relations with some UN"
"and 2008, Georgia has no effective control over Abkhazia, whose declaration of independence is recognized by Russia and three other UN member states. Georgia considers Abkhazia as its autonomous republic, whose government sits in exile in Tbilisi, and currently an occupied territory. Abkhazia's territory, in the Kodori Valley, which had been under Georgia's control prior to the Russo–Georgian War of 2008, is ""de jure"" the self-governing community of Azhara. Abkhazia's secessionist government divides the entity's territory into seven districts (""raion""). South Ossetia enjoyed the status of an autonomous oblast in the Soviet era. After the military conflicts in 1991–1992 and"
"by and UN member states respectively, though Vanuatu withdrew its recognition of Abkhazia in 2013 as did Tuvalu of both in 2014. The two regions recognise each other, and also have some recognition from other non-UN member states. In May 2018, Syria recognised the independence of both breakaway territories. Georgia and the majority of countries of the world do not recognise them as independent. Georgia officially considers them to be sovereign territory of the Georgian state under Russian military occupation. South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia during the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War on 29 May 1992, with its Constitution referring"
"governance and the positions of their member states, they may express positive or negative opinions as to declarations of independence, or choose to offer or withhold membership to a newly declared state. International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Abkhazia and South Ossetia are partially recognised republics in the Caucasus, claiming independence from Georgia. Russia's initial recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occurred in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War, six months after the western recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo from Serbia in February 2008. This, and resultant non-recognition of Abkhazia and South"
"South Ossetia are post-Soviet ""frozen conflict"" zones. These four states maintain friendly relations with each other and form the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations. Russia and Nicaragua officially recognised Abkhazia after the Russo-Georgian War. Venezuela recognised Abkhazia in September 2009. In December 2009, Nauru recognised Abkhazia, reportedly in return for $50 million in humanitarian aid from Russia. The unrecognised republic of Transnistria and the partially recognised republic of South Ossetia have recognised Abkhazia since 2006. Abkhazia is also a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). A majority of sovereign states recognise Abkhazia as an integral"
"imposed on Abkhazia in 1996 are still formally in force, but Russia announced on 6 March 2008 that it would no longer participate in them, declaring them ""outdated, impeding the socio-economic development of the region, and causing unjustified hardship for the people of Abkhazia"". Russia also called on other CIS members to undertake similar steps, but met with protests from Tbilisi and lack of support from the other CIS countries. Despite the controversial status of the territory and its damaged infrastructure, tourism in Abkhazia grew following the Russian recognition of Abkhazian independence in 2008 due to the arrival of Russian"
"supporters of Bandera."" Abkhazia and South Ossetia mutually recognise one another as independent states, and both are also recognised by two other Russia-backed non-UN member states: Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria. Only five United Nations member states recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Nauru, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela. On 19 September 2008, Hryhoriy Omelchenko (, member of Verkhovna Rada from Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, declared that Russia attacked Georgia without a declaration of war and occupied the Georgian territories. He said that: ""Therefore, according to international legal norms, Russian Federation is an aggressor, invader and occupant."" He called for respect for inviolability of"
"the Revkom, who did not expect to be the sole authority over Abkhazia, took advantage of the confusion and moved to declare Abkhazia an independent republic. They sent a telegram to Moscow asking for advice on how to proceed, and suggested joining the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, but Sergo Ordzhonikidze—a leading Bolshevik and the leader of the Caucasus Bureau (Kavbiuro)—dismissed the idea. As a result, on 31 March 1921, it declared that ""at the will of workers a new Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia is born."" This made Abkhazia a nominally independent republic with the understanding on both the"
"on 26 December. The fact that voters in Abkhazia approved the new union treaty while the Georgian SSR declared its independence on 9 April has been used by Abkhazia as an argument that Georgia became de jure independent from the Soviet Union without Abkhazia, which was then free to choose its own future. 1991 Abkhazian New Union Treaty referendum A referendum on the New Union Treaty was held in Abkhazia on 17 March 1991, as part of the wider Soviet referendum. The treaty was approved by 98.6% of voters. The treaty would have reorganised the Soviet Union into a less"
"tensions between the belligerents remained high. During the meeting with the presidents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in February 2008, the Russian official declared Moscow should ""reshape its relations with self-proclaimed republics"". Russia's Duma called a session for 13 March to discuss the issue of recognition of the unrecognized republics in the former Soviet Union. On 6 March 2008, Russia lifted Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) sanctions imposed on Abkhazia in 1996, and declared them outdated, ""hindering the implementation of economic and social programs in the region and is causing unjustified hardship for the people of Abkhazia."" The Russian decision"
"2008 to discuss recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. On August 25, the Federation Council unanimously voted to ask the Russian President to recognise independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Russian parliament voted in favour of this motion the following day. This unilateral recognition by Russia was met by condemnation from some members of the United Nations (including France, Germany, Great Britain and the United States) and from NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the European Council, due to the violation of Georgia's territorial integrity, of numerous United Nations resolutions on Abkhazia and of international"
"independence of the breakaway republics, Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, officially recognised both on 26 August 2008. Russian recognition was condemned by NATO nations, OSCE and European Council nations due to ""violation of territorial integrity and international law"". UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that sovereign states have to decide themselves whether they want to recognise the independence of disputed regions. Russia has started work on the establishment of a naval base in Ochamchire by dredging the coast to allow the passage of their larger naval vessels. As a response to the Georgian sea blockade of Abkhazia, in which the Georgian coast"
"Abkhazia) did not. The next month, on April 9, Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union while Ukraine, the second largest republic behind the Russian SFSR, did so on August 24 after the failed coup in Moscow two days earlier. Eventually, Ukraine held an referendum that took place on December 1 leaves with a 90% favor of independence. The secession ended the chances of the Union staying together, especially on a limited scale. The independence of both countries were recognized by the United States on December 25, 1991. In 1992, during the War in Abkhazia, the Ukrainian National Assembly called"
"of Northern Cyprus welcomed Russian recognition of Abkhazia. The militant Palestinian organization Hamas also welcomed the recognition of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In 2007, members of the parliaments and civil society organizations from Northern Cyprus and Western Sahara observed the Abkhazian parliamentary election. Abkhazia belongs to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and Community for Democracy and Human Rights. Foreign relations of Abkhazia The Republic of Abkhazia is a self-proclaimed state recognized only by Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. (The first five of these are members of the United Nations, the latter three"
"Independence Day (Abkhazia) The Independence Day of Abkhazia (Russian: День независимости Абхазия) also known among Abkhazians as Liberation Day (Russian: День освобождения) or Victory Day (Russian: День победы) is the main state holiday in the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia. It celebrates the end of the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) and the declaration of independence. This date is celebrated on September 30. September 30 was chosen as the Independence Day to commemorate the date on which the Georgian government troops and ethnic Georgians were driven out by the Abkhaz secessionist forces and their allies from much of Abkhazia, including the"
"was aggravated by the sanctions imposed in 1994 by the CIS. During the 1990s a lot of people of all ethnicities left Abkhazia mainly for Russia. Since 1997 Russia effectively dropped these sanctions which tremendously helped republic's economy. In 1999, Abkhazia officially declared their independence, which was recognized by almost no other nations. The return of Georgians to Gali district of Abkhazia was halted by the fighting which broke out there in 1998. However, from 40,000 to 60,000 refugees have returned to Gali district since 1998, including persons commuting daily across the ceasefire line and those migrating seasonally in accordance"
"and Hanukkah and stating that he was ""committed to making Georgia a place where all Georgians, regardless of their faith, are treated equally and with respect"". The disputed region of Abkhazia is claimed by Georgia as part of its sovereign territory, but it has been entirely outside Georgia's effective control (and ruled instead by a ""de facto"" separatist government) since the early 1990s. Following the 2008 Russia–Georgia war, Abkhazia gained formal recognition as an independent state by Russia and a small number of other nations, though the United Nations (UN) and most of the international community still consider it to"
"as the Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG) in 1918, Abkhazia was initially controlled by a group of Bolsheviks, before ultimately joining the DRG, though its status was never clarified. In 1921 the Red Army invaded Abkhazia and Georgia, eventually incorporating them into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. Initially Abkhazia was formed as an independent Soviet republic, the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia (SSR Abkhazia), though it was united with the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic by a treaty; in 1931 the SSR Abkhazia was downgraded to an autonomous republic within the Georgian SSR, to much opposition from the Abkhaz. Throughout"
"taken this as meaning the Russian Federation would come out for the independence of de facto independent breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union. Sergei Mironov, the chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament stated in December 2007, ""In case of the unilateral recognition of the independence of Kosovo, Russia will be entitled to change its approach to the so-called unrecognised republics in the post-soviet regions - South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Pridnestrovie."" He went on to state ""In case of such a recognition of Kosovo, Russia will be able to say that it is free in its approach, including towards"
"Abkhazian railway Abkhazian railway (; ) is a rail operator in the partially recognised state of Abkhazia. Under a monopoly agreement, it is fully managed and partially owned by Russian Railways for a ten year contract from 2009-2019. In 2016, 307,748 people traveled between Abkhazia and Russia by rail. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and damaging of the Transcaucasian Railway lines, the Samtredskoye part to the west of the Inguri River came under control of the Abkhazian railway. The bridge over the Inguri River was blown up on 14 August 1992, which was the day when Georgian forces"
"On 29 August 2008, Russia announced it would seek CSTO recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Three days earlier, on 26 August, Russia recognized the independence of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. On 5 September 2008, Armenia assumed the rotating CSTO presidency during a CSTO meeting in Moscow, Russia. On 10 December 2010, the member states approved a declaration establishing a CSTO peacekeeping force and a declaration of the CSTO member states, in addition to signing a package of joint documents. On 21 December 2011, Russia won the right to veto the establishment of"
"Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (; ; ), abbreviated as Abkhaz ASSR (; ; ), was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR. It came into existence in February 1931, when the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia (SSR Abkhazia or SSRA), originally created in March 1921, was transformed to the status of Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Georgian SSR. The Abkhaz ASSR adopted its own constitution on 2 August 1937. The supreme organ of legislative power was the Supreme Soviet elected every 4 years and its Presidium. The executive"
"Abkhazia–Russia relations Abkhazia–Russia relations () is the bilateral relationship between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation. Russia recognised Abkhazia on 26 August 2008, following the August 2008 South Ossetia war. Abkhazia and Russia established diplomatic relations on 9 September 2008. On 21 August 2008, the same day as a similar event in South Ossetia, a rally was held in Sukhum at which an estimated 47,00050,000 people appealed to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the Russian Federal Assembly for official recognition of their independence as a sovereign state. On 25 August 2008 President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh made a"
"the Soviet Union, Abkhazia's Black Sea beaches attracted tourists from a number of surrounding countries, constituting a 40 percent share of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic's tourism market. Prior to the 1992-93 war in Abkhazia, over 202,000 tourists visited the region every year. Abkhazia is now a disputed region, with Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru as the only United Nations member states that recognise the territory as an independent nation. Despite the risks involved, about one million tourists visit Abkhazia each year, mainly from Russia. One of the attraction of visiting Abkhazia as opposed to other Black Sea coastal towns,"
"also declared independence. South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region, as it views ""South Ossetia"" as implying political bonds with Russian North Ossetia. It was called South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast when Georgia was part of Soviet Union. Its autonomous status was revoked in 1990. De facto separate since Georgian independence, offers were made to give South Ossetia autonomy again, but in 2006 an unrecognised referendum in the area resulted in a vote for independence. In both Abkhazia and South Ossetia large numbers of people had been given Russian passports, some through a process of forced passportization"
"sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders."" The HALO Trust, an international non-profit organisation that specialises in the removal of the debris of war, has been active in Abkhazia since 1999 and has completed the removal of landmines in Sukhumi and Gali districts. It declared Abkhazia ""mine free"" in 2011. The main NGO working in Abkhazia is the France-based international NGO Première-Urgence (PU): PU has been implementing rehabilitation and economical revival programmes to support the vulnerable populations affected by the frozen conflict for almost 10 years. Russia does not allow the European Union Monitoring Mission"
"April 1991. After gaining independence, Abkhazia and South Ossetia declare independence from Georgia, which leads to a civil war in which Russia directly supports the Abkhazians. The conflict between Georgia and its separatist territories still has not yet been resolved. In 1992 Russia brokers a cease-fire agreement between the breakaway region of South Ossetia and Georgia, during their war in the early '90s. Later in 2008 Russia declares that it recognizes South Ossetia as a sovereign nation alongside Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru. During the conflicts in the 1990s the Republic of Georgia relies mostly on ad hoc poorly armed and"
"Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia citing Kosovo's independence, which it did not recognise, as a precedent. It ultimately also led to increased tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Republika Srpska vetoed the Kosovo recognition on the ground that it would then secede in order to make up for the loss to Serbia. The advisory opinion by the court was seen to have set a possible precedent that could have far-reaching implications for separatist movements around the world, and even for Serbia's EU membership talks. It was also read as being likely to lead to more countries recognising Kosovo's independence. The ICJ"
"the Russian troops stationed there by the end of 2008. As long as not all troops are withdrawn from Georgia and Moldova, NATO members refuse to ratify the treaty. This includes the dismantling of the one remaining base (after 2008) in Georgia: the Gudauta base located in Abkhazia. This has been viewed as an attempt to postpone ratification. Abkhazia is a de facto independent break-away republic within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia. In 2002 and 2006 referendums were held in which Abkhazians voted by large margins for de jure independence. Signed on November 19, during the OSCE's 1999 Istanbul"
"to the ""Republic of South Ossetia"". Abkhazia declared its independence after its war with Georgia in 1992–1993. Its Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1994. Kosovo's declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 and its divided international acceptance prompted speculation that there could be implications for the frozen South Caucasus situation. In April 2008, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed ""Resolution 1808"" that reaffirmed ""the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders and supports all efforts by the United Nations and the Group of Friends of the"
"is considered as the highest point in Europe. The Caucasus is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse regions on Earth. The nation states that comprise the Caucasus today are the post-Soviet states Georgia (including Adjara), Azerbaijan (including Nakhchivan), Armenia, and the Russian Federation. The Russian divisions include Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, , , , Adygea, Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai, in clockwise order. Three territories in the region claim independence but are recognised as such by only a handful or by no independent UN countries: , Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia are recognised by the majority"