Badra Gunba, the de facto leader of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region, said the region will “sooner or later” be “fully recognized” internationally as an independent country and become a member of the United Nations, noting that work is underway with countries in Latin America and the Middle East, as well as several Asian and African states, without providing further details.
Only five countries recognize Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia as independent states: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, and Syria. Syria, the most recent to establish diplomatic ties with Abkhazia in 2018, has been urged by various Georgian and international actors to withdraw its recognition following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule in December 2024.
In an interview with the Russian state news agency TASS published on May 15, following his visit to Moscow, where he participated in events dedicated to Victory Day on May 9, Gunba was asked whether negotiations were currently underway with any countries or organizations, or whether anyone had “expressed readiness” to recognize Abkhazia as an independent state.
He said work continues to expand the number of countries recognizing Abkhazia. “It is ongoing in regions such as Latin America, the Middle East, and several Asian and African republics. I have certain instructions for the foreign ministry. In this sense, the work continues – in some cases it progresses faster, while in others we would like this movement to be faster and more effective,” he said.
“But we understand what the countries we are in contact with often face. Countries that are ready to fully support our republic, but are under certain pressure from Western countries – countries that are trying in every possible way to impose their agenda,” he added.
“I am confident that sooner or later we will reach the point where Abkhazia will be fully recognized, and our country will be one of the representatives in the UN. This is inevitable, no matter who resists it. This is what our people strive for, and we will definitely achieve it.”
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