Voices of South Caucasus

Although Georgia continues to maintain an embargo on all trade and foreign economic activity with the breakaway republic of Abkhazia since 1996, local observers say trade and economic links between Turkey and Abkhazia have in fact grown rapidly in the past two years.

Bagapsh, under whom Abkhazia emerged from the ruins of war and was recognized as an independent state, is losing popularity day by day.

During his recent visit to Moscow, Abkhaz president Sergey Bagapsh made an unexpected statement in his interview to a Russian edition: "Moscow was a capital for me and it will remain my capital, just like Russia will remain a great and powerful country". Had a well-known Abkhaz writer, artist or singer said these words, hardly anyone would presumably have paid any attention to them. Creative people are always a little cosmopolitan and they sometimes demonstratively destroy borders. Some do this, because they believe in this, and others want to underscore their individuality. Yet others, being obsessed with their creation, simply forget their own origins.

Russian-Abkhaz relations are gradually deteriorating like this happened between Moscow and Minsk.

Over the three months in the post of Abkhaz interior minister, Leonid Dzyapshba was transformed from an ordinary official into an influential political figure, who can make an impact on the post-Bagapsh era.

A wedding party held in Tbilisi recently took on symbolic overtones thanks to the efforts by the government and media. The bride was Abkhaz and the bridegroom was Georgian. The authors of this impressive mystery decided that the couple was an exceedingly good embodiment of unity and the pathos and sense of the restoration of territorial integrity. At any rate, those who watched the report on this wedding party on Rustavi-2 must have received precisely such an impression. The happy couple have already been given a flat in Tbilisi and time on the air.

Abkhazia hopes that Turkey will become a source of new immigrants, which will change the demographic balance in the republic in favour of the Abkhaz.

After Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia as an independent state, a number of issues emerged on the agenda of the country which should be solved step by step.

The “Day of Rage” announced by the Russian opposition and meaning countrywide protest demonstrations was to become a certain Rubicon for the opposition of Kokoiti as well. The opposition planned to organize a massive demonstration in Tskhinvali and said that this day was to become the beginning of the end for Kokoiti. Before that the opposition had only been able to stage protests in Moscow and Vladikavkaz. But as the proverb goes, a barking dog never bites.