Breakaway Abkhazia joins Russia’s anti-Turkish sanctions

De-facto Government of Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region will join Russia’s sanctions against Turkey.

The so-called economy and agriculture ministries of self-proclaimed Abkhazia, Russian-occupied region in the north-western corner of Georgia, has started working on imposing sanctions against Turkey, which was scheduled to come into force by January 20.

De-facto authorities of Abkhazia said the sanctions would see certain products be barred from being imported to Abkhazia from Turkey and Turkish-registered companies and non-commercial organisations be banned from operating in Abkhazia.

With these measures Abkhazia will join Russia’s earlier sanctions against Turkey, which were placed after Turkey’s downing of a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft in November.

De-facto Abkhazian officials said they needed to join Russia’s sanctions against a foreign country in accordance with the 2014 so-called treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership with Russia. This Russian-initiated deal was assessed by Georgia and the international community as "illegal” and Russia’s "complete disregard” for its international obligations and the fundamental principles of international law.

Russia recognised Abkhazia as an independent state in 2008, immediately after the five-day Russia-Georgia war over Georgia’s other breakaway region, Tskhinvali region (often referred to as South Ossetia). This move of Russia has been assessed numerous times as a "violation of international law” by the global community.