Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia requests observer state status from UN

Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region has requested an observer state status from the United Nations (UN) which will allow the breakaway region to participate in the discussions of the UN General Assembly, Russian media outliers have cited the de facto Foreign Ministry of Abkhazia as saying.

Non-member observer states are recognized as sovereign states, and are free to submit a petition to join as a full member at their discretion.

Russian media outlets say that FM of Abkhazia Inal Ardzinba has delivered the request to Secretary-General of the United Nations Association of Russia (UNA-Russia) Alexey Borisov during the recent meeting in Moscow for Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. 

Russia recognized Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, two historic regions of Georgia, as independent states after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. 

Since then only Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria have done the same with the influence of Russia. 

The rest of the international community urges Russia to withdraw its troops from Georgia.