Georgian MFA Protests Lifting Abkhaz Sanctions by Russia

Russia’s withdrawal from the treaty imposing sanctions on breakaway Abkhazia is “an extremely dangerous provocation,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on March 7.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said Moscow’s decision was designed to facilitate Russian military assistance to the Abkhaz secessionist authorities – something banned by the 1996 treaty. The ministry said Georgia reserved the right to take appropriate steps to defend its national interests.

“The move cannot be seen other than as a clear attempt to undermine Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity and a very dangerous provocation aimed at fueling tension in the conflict zone,” the statement reads. It would also, the statement reads, create a serious threat of destabilization.