Abkhazia expects int'l recognition of its de-facto independence

Abkhazia's president Sergei Bagapsh expects international recognition of his country's de-facto independence sooner or later

SUKHUMI (Tiraspol Times) - In an interview published Wednesday in Spain's El Pais newspaper, Sergei Bagapsh, the president of Abkhazia says that his unrecognized country will eventually achieve international recognition of its independence the same way that Kosovo did in February, when it unilaterally declared that it no longer wanted to be part of Serbia.

The ex-Soviet republic was originally a separate kingdom and then became the Abkhaz SSR in the Soviet Union before Georgia-born dictator Joseph Stalin forced it into the Georgian SSR.

Abkhazia and two other 'de facto' independent states, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie, have stepped up their drive for freedom and independence since Kosovo's declaration of independence, requesting that Russia, the UN and other organizations recognize their sovereignty.

" - We want a lawful state, independent and democratic... If Kosovo can be independent then so can Abkhazia," Sergei Bagapsh said Wednesday.

Kosovo, with a 90% ethnic-Albanian majority, has been formally recognized as a sovereign state by 40 countries including the U.S., Taiwan and most EU members since it proclaimed its independence.

Russia and China both opposed Kosovo's independence because it was an unilateral decision which had not been negotiated in advance with Serbia. Nearly 160 states still consider Kosovo to be part of Serbia, or either don't care or have not yet made up their mind on the issue.

Already independent, just not recognized

Abkhazia, which has already been 'de facto' independent for nearly twenty years, believes that it has better grounds for independence than Kosovo.

" - We [Abkhazia] do not want Moscow to recognize us in defiance of the United States in order to take revenge for Kosovo. We want independence because we have a right to it. Because we have deserved it," said Bagapsh. He also added that if Abkhazia is granted international recognition of its independence, it would be a demilitarized country with no weapons or military units, but it would need security guarantees from other countries to achieve this. Bagapsh said that Georgia is "a very aggressive country armed to the teeth by Europe," adding that "Greek, Ukrainian, Turkish and American [military] instructors have equipped Georgia."

Like Pridnestrovie (also known as Transnistria), Abkhazia is already independent but just not diplomatically recognized as a state yet. Both of these new and emerging countries already meet the requirements for statehood under international law. (With information from El Pais, RIA Novosti)

See also:
» Abkhazia, Transdniestria and South Ossetia prepare joint recognition appeal
» Georgia expects Abkhazia to get recognized statehood in 2008
» Abkhazia, South Ossetia to UN: "We're next"