ABKHAZIA: Russia Offers a Boost

• by Kester Kenn Klomegah (moscow)
• Friday, April 10, 2009
• Inter Press Service

Russia signed agreements with both republics last month for financial aid to stimulate their economic development programmes over the next few years. Abkhazia will receive 68 million dollars from the Russian federal budget and South Ossetia 81 million dollars.

Abkhazia has a population of about 180,000, and South Ossetia 70,000.

Russia recognised the two former Georgian republics as independent states Aug. 26, 2008, two weeks after the end of a five-day war with Georgia. The conflict began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in a bid to bring it back under central control.

The Russian Finance Ministry has announced that South Ossetia will also receive 246 million dollars to rebuild housing, social amenities and utilities damaged in the August 2008 war. The ministry is exploring the possibility of extending credit to both republics.

Elena Gnedina from the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels says Russia's decision is driven by solidarity with these conflict-hit zones and by a desire to secure their sustainable development. 'Political and economic stability are important for the Russian Caucasus, especially when some of the Caucasian republics (Ingushetia, Dagestan and Karachaevo-Cherkessia) are becoming more conflict-prone,' she told IPS.

Moreover, Gnedina said, following recognition, Russia cannot simply let the republics fail. Georgia has started to rebuild villages on its side.

'There is no economic logic to Russia's involvement in the post-war rehabilitation of South Ossetia, but the logic is rather political,' Gnedina said. 'Russia has been sponsoring Ossetia's independence for a long time, with pensions and Russian passports.'

The situation with Abkhazia is different. It is on the Black Sea coast, and Russian businesses have invested in the area for its tourism potential (in Soviet times, Abkhazia was one of the most famous sea resorts). Significantly, the Russian Black Sea fleet has to leave Ukraine by 2017, and Abkhazia is one of the places where it can potentially be stationed.

Natalya Ivanova from the Russian Academy of Sciences says security for the region was strengthened at a conference in Geneva last October where representatives of Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the U.S. and South Ossetia participated under the collective chairmanship of European Union, the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United States.

'Now that much progress has been made to create conditions for ensuring security in the Caucasus region, this guarantees a basis for economic development in Abkhazia and South Ossetia,' Ivanova told IPS.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said both republics are now free to develop in peace as democratic and sovereign nations, and that they will share transport and electricity systems with Russia.

'Russia will do all it can so that the people of Abkhazia feel some improvement in their lives in the near future,' Russian ambassador to Abkhazia Semyon Grigoryev told Interfax news agency.

'Intensive practical work is being done to this end; after signing a treaty on friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance, we plan to sign a number of industry agreements as well. We believe priority should be attached to cooperation in providing security, so that issues in the social sectors could then be resolved properly,' Grigoryev added.

Foreign ministry sources in Moscow say the establishment of Russian diplomatic missions will facilitate cooperation in all areas.

© Inter Press Service (2009) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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