ITAR-TASS, Russia
Aug 8 2005

Abkhazia’s NGOs ask Russian president to recognize republic

SUKHUMI, August 8 (Itar-Tass) — Abkhazia’s non-governmental
organizations have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Moscow’s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov to recognize the self-proclaimed
republic’s independence.

The call is contained in a message from the Coordinating Council of
the non-governmental organizations of Russia and Abkhazia addressed
to both officials.

Affiliated to the Coordinating Council are fifteen organizations,
including the Russian, Armenia, Greek, Jewish and Polish Communities
and the local Black Sea chapter of the Kuban Cossacks.

`Over 80 percent of Abkhazia’s residents are Russian citizens and the
number of Russian citizens resident in Abkhazia has been growing with
every day. Those who still do not have Russian citizenship have so
far been unable to pay for citizenship and passport acquisition
procedures.’

The Coordinating Council argues that Abkhazia is not part of Georgia
and is free to decide its future on its own. To support this claim it
mentions a number of legal acts adopted in the last days of the USSR,
and in the first post-Soviet years, as well as results of plebiscites
held at that time.

The authors of the message say that Russia is a legal successor of
the Soviet Union and those legal acts are still effective.

The Coordinating Council asked for easing border-crossing procedures
on the Russian-Abkhazian border and for considering Abkhazia’s
admission to Russia in the capacity of an associate member.

`Abkhazia has been with Russia since 1810 and we are hoping that this
shall be so further on, in compliance with the testament of our
ancestors,’ the message says.