Activists fear an economic deal with Russia.
In Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia, demonstrators protested on Monday the detention of five opposition activists opposing an economic deal with Russia. According to AFP, protesters blocked bridges and roads in the provincial capital of Sukhumi, and the activists were subsequently released by the authorities. TASR informs about it.
The economic agreement with Russia is intended, among other things, to enable Russians to buy real estate in Abkhazia. Activists fear that this would lead to the mass construction of Russian-owned housing complexes in Abkhazia. The region with mountains and beaches near the Black Sea is a popular tourist destination for Russians.
After a short war with Georgia in 2008, Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Together, the two regions make up about a fifth of Georgia’s territory and are heavily dependent on Russia. Apart from Russia, only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognized their independence. According to Western countries, Russia has effectively annexed these two Georgian provinces.
