Deputy FM says Russia attempting to push Asian, African states to recognise Georgian occupied regions as independent

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili says that Russia is taking active steps to persuade Asian, African and Pacific Ocean countries to recognise the Georgian occupied Abkhazia region as an independent state. 

 Khvtisiashvili says that Georgia is taking steps to prevent this from happening. 

 The non-recognition policy is among the top priorities of the Georgian Foreign Ministry. The preventive steps we are taking include the offering of economic cooperation to the countries [which might be influenced by Russia to recognise Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states] and sharing our experience in different fields,” Khvtisiashvili said. 

 He stated that the Foreign Ministry has held political consultations with five countries from the African continent this year to prevent the recognition of Georgian regions as independent republics.

Deputy FM Khvtisiashvili has made the comments during Tbilisi conference of ambassadors earlier today. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office. 

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 Russia recognised two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent republics in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. 

 Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognized the regions as independent countries since then. 

 The rest of the international community says that the regions are integral parts of Georgia and are now occupied by Russia.