President Zourabichvili condemns de facto Abkhazia’s plans to transfer 186 hectare of lands to Russia

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Tuesday condemned the move of Georgia’s Russia’s controlled Abkhazia region to transfer 186 hectare of land in a well-known Bidzvinta resort town to Russia on a 49-year-lease.

 

“What we are seeing in Bichvinta is a form of annexation of Georgian territory by Russia. We see a strong popular reaction to the developments. This is the result of continued occupation. I strongly condemn this and call on the international community to strongly react to this,” Zourabichvili said.

 

Moscow and the Abkhazia de facto authorities signed the agreement in January of this year, while the confidential deal became known only earlier this month.

 

The Georgian NGOs have urged the government to take “timely steps to curb Russia’s annexation policy in Abkhazia and strengthen efforts in the direction of peace policy.”

 

Russia recognised two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia} as independent states after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.