The de facto foreign ministry of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region has welcomed the recent interview by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in which he said that his country will recognize Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states  ‘if the Russian president tells me that there is a need for this.’ 


"The Republic of Abkhazia welcomes the statement of the leader of Belarus on the possibility of recognizing the sovereignty of the Abkhaz state. Abkhazia is open to dialogue with Russia-friendly states that share the fair aspirations of the people of Abkhazia,” said the de facto foreign ministry.


Russia recognized Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions as independent states following the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. 


Since then only Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria have taken the same step with the involvement of Russia. 


The rest of the international community is unanimous that the regions are occupied by Russia.