Sukhum- While Georgia is going through a very tough period on its way to the January 5 presidential elections, Abkhazia has already turned eyes to Kosovo, which is expected to announce its independence from Serbia soon.
Abkhazia is one of the countries that experiences immediate effects of whatever happens across the Balkans. It is looking forward to being internationally recognized just as Kosovo has recently gained such recognition from both the United States and the European Union. The administration of Sukhum, capital city of Abkhazia, maintains high hopes even though Russia fears that its possible recognition of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries will first cause trouble in the future, second encourage the seven other North Caucasian republics to separate from the federation, and third lead to the loss of the whole region after hundreds of years of bloody wars and exiles.
Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh said: "While Kosovo is located at the very heart of Serbia, Abkhazia is already an entirely independent country. It was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union; however, it was later forced to become part of Georgia through the efforts of both Joseph Stalin and Lavrenty Beria, who was then Chief Secret Police Officer as well as Secretary General of the Communist Party of Georgia."
"The United States put it clearly that it would recognize Kosovo. This will set an example for us. We expect Russia to recognize Abkhazia," Sergei Bagapsh, Foreign Minister of Abkhazia, told exclusively AFP.
The Abkhazian people maintain a similar expectation, as well. Svetlana Adleyiba, who is living in Sukhum, said that a possible recognition of Kosovo as an independent state will give us the chance to get world-wide recognition and to lead a better life.
There is also a widespread rumor that when Russia recognizes Abkhazia, it will then possibly create a Domino effect and prompt Georgia to recognize Chechnya and other countries will do the same thing for others as well.
Mikheil Saakashvili, who resigned as Georgia’s president to be legally able to run again in the elections, vowed openly to take control in 2008 over both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It is, however, worth asking how Saakashvili, whose words remind the 1992 extremely nationalist Georgian administration, will manage to do so when Abkhazia’s chances for international recognition are high. (Agency Caucasus)
