Abkhazia in independence appeal

Story from BBC NEWS:
europe/7283192.stm

Published: 2008/03/07 12:30:39 GMT

The breakaway Abkhazia region in Georgia has called on the UN and other
international bodies to recognise it as independent.
The appeal was made by the separatist Abkhaz parliament on Friday, a
day after Russia said it was lifting trade restrictions on the
territory.

Georgia condemned Russia’s move, warning that it encouraged separatism.

Tens of thousands of ethnic Georgians were driven from their homes in
Abkhazia during a war in the 1990s.

On Wednesday, Georgia’s other breakaway region, South Ossetia, asked
the UN and other international bodies to recognise its independence.

Georgia’s foreign ministry accused Russia on Friday of an attempt to
infringe Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, after Russia
said it was lifting the sanctions it imposed in 1996.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said the situation
regarding Abkhazia had completely changed.

He denied the move had anything to do with recognition by some states
of Kosovo’s independence. Russia says Kosovo remains part of Serbia.

The Russian sanctions were to try to limit Abkhazia’s separatist
aspirations, but analysts say they have had little effect.

Georgia’s foreign ministry said: "This step can only be considered as
an undisguised attempt to infringe the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Georgia, to encourage separatism".

It said Russia was "abandoning its duty not to supply weapons of all
kinds and military equipment to the Abkhaz side".

Mr Denisov said Russia’s position on the territorial integrity of
Georgia remained unchanged.

But the Russian foreign ministry accused Georgia of "undermining the
negotiating process" on the Abkhazia question.