Inal Ardzinba, the de facto Foreign Minister in Georgia’s currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia region, and Jansug Nanba, the head of the de facto Presidential administration, have resigned, Interfax reported earlier this week. 

Ardzinba, who took the post in 2021 with previous working experience in Russia, requested resignation on Monday, with de facto President Aslan Bzhania having not approved the resignation so far. 

Russia recognized the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent states following its invasion of Georgia in 2008. 

Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have joined the illegal recognition of the regions as independent republics so far, while the rest of the international community is unanimous that the regions are under Russian occupation.