Tag Archives: Syria

The Syrian government signed on September 6 an agreement on trade and economic cooperation with representatives of the Russian-backed authorities of Abkhazia, envisioning the establishment of a tax-free regime between the two. The agreement was inked by Syrian Economy Minister Mohammad Samer al-Khalil and his Sokhumi counterpart, Adgur Ardzinba, during …

The United States have added Syria to the list of the countries banned from receiving U.S. aid due to its recent recognition of, and establishment of diplomatic relations with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia. Although largely symbolic, since the Damascus does not benefit from any U.S. direct aid, the move …

Raul Khajimba, the Moscow-backed leader of Abkhazia, is on a four-day visit to Damascus, where he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on September 4 and signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation. According to the Abkhaz authorities, at the meeting, Khajimba thanked Assad for recognizing the independence of Abkhazia, …

The Radio Way, a community radio station based in Georgia’s north-eastern Pankisi gorge, reported yesterday that a Georgian citizen Tamaz Batirashvili was killed in Syria. 38-year-old Batirashvili, native of village Birkiani in Pankisi gorge, who had reportedly left for Syria in 2013, died in a clash on July 24, according …

The Assad regime’s recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, as well as its decision to establish diplomatic relations with the two territories, “has no legal power,” the press office of the Georgian Foreign Ministry (MFA) told Civil.ge on July 23. The MFA statement follows the visit of Tskhinvali “foreign minister” …

Abdurrahman Mustafa, President of the Syrian National Coalition, a political platform uniting the main Syrian opposition groups, denounced Assad regime’s recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Mustafa, who represents the Syrian Turkmen Council in the Coalition, made the statement at his June 5 meeting with the Georgian …

Op-ed by Mikheil Janelidze, the Foreign Minister of Georgia. This article originally appeared in the New Atlanticist, online publication by the Atlantic Council. Last week, Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria illegally recognized Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (so-called South Ossetia), two historic regions of Georgia, as independent states. This was done undoubtedly at the behest …

Voice of America’s Ani Chkhikvadze sat down with Ambassador Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, to discuss Georgia’s domestic and foreign affairs. Recently, Syria’s Assad Government recognized occupied Abkhazia and Ossetia as independent states. Why do you think we saw this right now, especially given that Georgia, as …

Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Dondua, who oversees the country’s non-recognition policy, reported yesterday to the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Syria’s recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “Syria is not only our problem, it is a problem of the entire civilized world,” Dondua stressed after the committee …

Italy, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey have joined in the countries condemning Syria’s recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia as independent states. On May 30, Italian Foreign Ministry underscored that the country “fully subscribes” to the European Union’s statement and that Italy reiterated its support to the territorial integrity of Georgia. …

Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom joined in denouncing Syria’s recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia as independent states. Estonian Foreign Ministry said on May 29 that it deplores “blatant violation” of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “by Russia-backed Syrian regime.” “International community must stand …

Q: Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Syria over recognition by Assad’s regime of its two breakaway provinces. Was this a right step, in your mind? A: politically and legally this was the only natural step. A government is obliged to break off diplomatic relations with a country, which does …

Syria’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia “is not a complete surprise to us, simply because Bashar al-Assad is propped-up by the Russian regime,” the U.S. State Department’s Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press briefing on May 29. Responding to the question of Rustavi 2 TV, Nauert said the …

The decision of the “Syrian regime” to establish diplomatic relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia “violates international law and the principle of territorial integrity as defined by the United Nations Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in its statement today. Decision of …

Tbilisi has decided to launch procedures for severing diplomatic relations with Syria, following Damascus’s recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Dondua, who convened a special press briefing on the matter, said “recognition of Georgia’s integral regions by the Syrian regime” was “illegal and in …

Syria has decided to establish diplomatic relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, making it the fifth United Nations member state to have recognized the two regions’ independence from Georgia. According to the Abkhaz “foreign ministry,” Sokhumi and Damascus “agreed on mutual recognition and establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries …