Tbilisi — the Russian President on Tuesday arrives in the country as old, and so tiny — Abkhazia. In about eight and a half thousand square kilometers, since ancient times is the representatives of more than 60 nationalities, for a total of about 245 thousand people, the Abkhaz made up just under half of them.
Not to say that a quarter of a million human mass about ten years ago dreamed of independence and sovereignty. But that 120 thousand Abkhazians were convinced of the justice of their desire to live and develop independently of Georgia, there is no doubt. Tbilisi could not agree with it, as Baku is in the same time with the demand of the Karabagh Armenians. However, Moscow was on the side of Abkhazia, it is not disguised, in contrast to its attitude towards the Armenian separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh.
As a result, Abkhazia became, just like Nagorno-Karabakh, “independent” armed state with undefined name and an equally uncertain future. The Russian President twice visited Sukhum (2009 and 2013) — a resort town on the Black sea, which became the capital of the Republic of Abkhazia, recognized as such by seven countries, including Vanuatu, Tuvalu and the aforementioned secessionist entity called “Nagorno Karabakh Republic”.
But this visit, according to General opinion, in many ways special: Tbilisi has declared in the whole country mourning in connection with the 8th of August — the beginning of the war with the separatist South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The latter, in turn, closed its border with the former “mother country” for fear of hostile actions against it by angry Georgians.
The President of the internationally unrecognized Republic Raul Khajimba announced that the meeting with the distinguished guest from Moscow will be held in Pitsunda — an event that in Tbilisi explain the complication of the socio-economic situations in the former authority, officially referred to as “the occupied region of Georgia”.
This time, however, the General opinion of Georgian experts, the arrival caused purely by the desire of Moscow to demonstrate its support for Abkhazia from Georgia, and Washington, salusalu in the heart of the Georgian leadership so much hope during a memorable visit of Vice-President Mike Pence.
Usually summer Sukhum, touristy from Russia, a look, to the delight of official guests from Moscow, shows the inviolability of the Abkhazian-Russian friendship. Alas, Sukhum today — it’s deserted quay, a failed holiday season, an explosion at a military base in Gudauta, two Russian tourists dead and more than 60 injured. Added to this is the severe crime situation, kidnapping, robbery, murder…
By the way, Russian media write about the numerous cancellations of tourist visits to Abkhazia, and the “exemption process grows.” Statistics, in turn, reported that in comparison with last year the number of tourists here has been halved. Disappointing looks and criminogenic situation in Abkhazia: last year, it was recorded 298 criminal offences, only for 7 months of the current year the local interior Ministry counted 400.
Putin intends to show that Abkhazia is a Russian sphere of influence, as well as to strengthen Russian presence in the Georgian media write. It is also suggested that the atmosphere of discontent in Abkhazia forced by certain forces in order to accelerate the process of building joint with Russia’s security agencies information center.
In addition, in relations between Moscow and Sukhum there are several painful problems. One of them is the intransigence of Abkhazia in acquiring there real estate by Russians. Here I remind you that not so long ago, Abkhazia was visited by Russian foreign Minister Lavrov and his Deputy Grigory Karasin. But now the moral and political background of the ongoing visit of the unprecedented adverse as for Putin himself, and generally to take any important political and military decisions.
