De facto Tskhinvali temporarily closes administrative border

De facto authorities of Georgia’s eastern Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region have temporarily closed the administrative border that separates the breakaway area from the rest of Georgian territory. 

The breakaway region’s existing leadership today said the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) would close tonight at 8pm and reopen at 7am on Thursday, September 22.

The de facto side said the temporary closure of the administrative border was due to security reasons, as the region celebrated its "independence” tomorrow on September 20.

Georgia and the majority of the western world do not recognise the region’s independence but state Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia are integral parts of Georgia.

Russia and Nicaragua recognised the independence of Georgia’s two occupied regions in 2008 following the brief but violent Russia-Georgia war.

In 2009 Venezuela, Vanuatu, Nauru and Tuvalu took the same step, however several years’ later Vanuatu and Tuvalu in the Pacific Islands revoked their recognition and now declare Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as integral parts of Georgia.