Abkhazia

Abkhazians achieved their goals completely; they won the war.

1 parliamentary election, then-opposition leader Ivanishvili promised in a public speech that one of his first acts will be to open a railway and highway with Abkhazia, which will open up access to Russian markets for Georgians and Abkhazians. This will be essential for the revival of the Georgian economy.

Abkhazian separatist soldiers stand in front of the debris of a Georgian military base in the village of Azhara in Kodori Gorge; Condoleezza Rice, left, and Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili

(1) About 66% Ossetians in South Ossetia, 44% Abkhazians in Abkhazia and 92% Albanians in Kosovo.

The world has changed, however, and Russia's recognition of Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence may have backfired against Assad.

But for all its Abkhazian gravity, Sandro is a delight to read.

Ironically, ethnic Abkhazians make up only 17 percent of the population there.

Relations between the Abkhazians and the Georgians have been difficult for decades.

Although the Abkhazians continue to participate, they deny the principle of Georgian territorial integrity and continue to obstruct movement on the refugee question.

Abkhazians - http://hypatia.ss.uci.edu/gpacs/abkhazia/

The Abkhaz president also hoped that Syria and Abkhazia will fare well in the matter of cooperation in multiple domains, pointing out the necessity of exerting efforts to bring the Abkhazians in Syria closer to their country of origin.

The committee also pointed out that the participants do not represent the Arabs only, but also the various ethnic groups of the Syrian society, including the Kurds, Yazidis, Armenians, Circassians, Turkmen, Dagestans and Abkhazians. The conference will begin with a speech by the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the settlement in Syria, Alexander Lavrentev, followed by a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a speech by the UN Special Envoy, Stefan de Mistura./ End

Despite such tensions, most Abkhazians agree with Moscow's policy of building up their country as a bulwark against Georgia.