Sochi-Sukhumi Bus Line Opened
A regular bus route has opened between the Russian town of Sochi and Sukhumi, capital of secessionist province of Abkhazia, acting chairman of the transport administration of Sochi, Pavel Shurakov, told Interfax news agency on September 23.
The buses will offer round-trip service to Sukhumi three times a day, according to Shurakov.
Members of the CIS confirmed, at a CIS summit is Astana on September 16, their earlier decision to suspend all contacts with secessionist Abkhaz authorities or maintain them through Georgia’s official authorities. However, President Vladimir Putin stated at a press-conference after the CIS summit that Russia interprets this decision as not applying to “non-state” (i.e. commercial) actors.
Recently, Russia suspended busline communications with Georgia through the Larsi border checkpoint, quoting a “lack of parity” in passenger flow. Currently, buses from Georgia to Russia operate through another breakaway province – South Ossetia.
