Russian FM, de facto Abkhaz FM meet to ‘discuss security issues’ in S. Caucasus

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with de facto  Foreign Minister Daur Kove of Georgia’s occupied region of Abkhazia to discuss security issues in the South Caucasus, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.

The ministry claims that security cooperation is important as the region is challenging.

The Russian MFA claims that Russian troops “help” Abkhaz so-called border guards control “borders” with Georgia effectively.

Only Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognised the two occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent republics since the Russia-Georgia war in 2008.

The rest of the international community says that the historic Georgian regions are occupied by Russia.

• The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was fought between Georgian government forces for the most part and Abkhaz separatist forces, Russian armed forces and North Caucasian militants. The separatists received support from thousands of North Caucasus and Cossack militants and from the Russian forces stationed in and near Abkhazia.
• Between 13,000 to 20,000 ethnic Georgians and approximately 3,000 Abkhaz were reported killed, more than 250,000 Georgians became internally displaced or refugees and about 2,000 are considered missing.
• Among the missing about 1,500 are ethnic Georgians, up to 200 are ethnic Abkhazians and about 100 are ethnic Ossetians.