Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two regions that broke away from Georgia amidst the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. South Ossetian separatists declared independence during the South Ossetia war from January 1991 to June 1992 and were followed by Abkhaz separatists during the Abkhazia war from August 1992 to September 1993. Both separatist movements received support from Russia, but their declarations of independence gained only limited international recognition.
The Georgian government eschews the choronym "South Ossetia" ("South" relative to Russia's North OssetiaâÂÂcollectively Ossetia) and instead refers to it as the "Tskhinvali Region" within Shida Kartli, although the eponymous capital city Tskhinvali is not controlled by Georgia. In addition to Georgia, the majority of the international community regards Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Georgian territory under Russian occupation.
After the Russian invasion of Georgia in August 2008, Russia recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent sovereign states. Four United Nations members besides Russia recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Nicaragua in September 2008; Venezuela in September 2009; Nauru in December 2009; and Syria in May 2018. Two other United Nations members formerly recognised the separatist regions' independence: Vanuatu granted recognition in May 2011, but rescinded in March 2019; and Tuvalu granted recognition in September 2011, but rescinded in March 2014.
Beyond United Nations members, Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognise each other. They are also recognised by two states with limited or no international recognition: Transnistria (1993/1994) and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (2010). Furthermore, three internationally unrecognised states that no longer exist had recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia: the Republic of Artsakh (2006) within Azerbaijan; and the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic (both 2014/2022) within Ukraine. Excluding the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the erstwhile Republic of Artsakh, all of the internationally unrecognised states that have diplomatic ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia are similarly classified as Russian-occupied territories.
South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia during the 1991âÂÂ1992 South Ossetia War on 29 May 1992, with its Constitution referring to the "Republic of South Ossetia". Abkhazia declared its independence after its war with Georgia in 1992âÂÂ1993. Its Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1994.
The 2008 South Ossetia war was fought in August 2008 between Georgia on one side and South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia on the other, resulting in a combined South Ossetian, Abkhaz and Russian victory and the expulsion of the Georgian military from both territories.
After hearing the aforementioned appeals from both the Abkhazian and South Ossetian leadership, on 25 August 2008, the Federation Council and State Duma passed motions calling upon President Dmitry Medvedev to recognise the independence of both states and establish diplomatic relations. On 26 August 2008, Medvedev signed decrees recognising the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as sovereign states.
At the UN Security Council, the United States was heavily critical of Russian support for the secessionist governments, accusing the government of violating Georgia's territorial integrity. In response, Vitaly Churkin, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, attacked the U.S. claim to the moral high ground by recalling the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Others accused the United States of hypocrisy, citing its steps against Serbian territorial integrity when it recognised the independence of Kosovo in 2008.
The Russian government also welcomed Nicaragua's recognition of the two states, and called on other countries to "recognise reality" and follow Nicaragua's example. President Daniel Ortega announced that his government "recognises the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and fully supports the Russian government's position." Medvedev also signed into law federal bills ratifying friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance pacts between his government and those of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The laws stipulated the obligations of each state to provide assistance to each other if either of them comes under attack, joint protection of Abkhazia and South Ossetia's borders, as well as cooperation on a wide range of economic, social, and humanitarian issues. The states would also jointly counter organised crime, international terrorism, and drug trafficking, documents to this effect were signed for 10 years with an option to extend the deal automatically.
Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili considered Russia's move as an attempt to alter the borders of Europe by force. Below are some excerpts from his statement:
<blockquote>This is the first attempt on European territory ... since Hitler's regime and Stalin's Soviet Union where a large state is trying unilaterally, with the use of force, to completely crush a neighbouring country and openly annex its territory.</blockquote> <blockquote>This is inconceivable lawlessness and insolence ... Russia has done unthinkable damage to its place in the international community.</blockquote> <blockquote>The question of the re-establishment of the territorial integrity of Georgia and the protection of its freedom â this is not an internal Georgian problem, or a question of Georgia and Russia. This is now a question of Russia and the rest of the civilised world. Georgia's future, is not only the future of Georgia, this is the future of the whole civilised world...</blockquote>
Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria said, "This is an unconcealed annexation of these territories, which are a part of Georgia."
On 28 August, the Georgian Parliament passed a resolution declaring Abkhazia and South Ossetia "Russian-occupied territories" and instructed the government to annul all previous treaties on Russian peacekeeping. The following day the government announced that it was severing diplomatic ties with Russia, with the Georgian Embassy in Moscow and the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi to close as a result. Georgia recalled its Ambassador from Russia and ordered all Russian diplomats to leave Georgia, saying that only consular relations would be maintained. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on this decision, saying that some 600,000 to 1 million Georgians in Russia would be left to the "mercy of fate".
Later, Georgia also severed diplomatic relations with Nicaragua. Georgia moved to economically isolate the regions. A ban on economic activity in the regions without Georgian permission was issued, and anyone caught violating this ban by the Georgian authorities faced prosecution. The Georgian Navy blockaded the coast of Abkhazia, and has seized 23 cargo ships trying to bring supplies to Abkhazia, most notably fuel supplies. Abkhazia is dependent on fuel imports, and faced a serious shortage as a result. Russia began deploying boats from its own Black Sea Fleet on 21 September 2009, in response. In August 2009, Russia and South Ossetia accused Georgia of shelling Ossetian villages and kidnapping four South Ossetian citizens. Russia threatened to use force unless the shelling stopped, and put its troops stationed in South Ossetia on high alert.
In January 2010, Georgia adopted a strategy regarding the reintegration of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The strategy is called Involvement through Cooperation and it was presented to the international organisations as well as to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The document says Georgia views peaceful methods as the only way for conflict solution and that there won't be a war with these regions. It envisions engagement of people of these two regions through education as well as social, economic and business projects, instead of isolation.
It is officially illegal under Georgian law to enter South Ossetia or Abkhazia through Russia, without permission from Georgia; it is possible to travel through Georgian territory to Abkhazia, though as Georgia cannot assure the safety inside the disputed territories, going to either Abkhazia or South Ossetia is not recommended by the Georgian government. It is not possible for foreigners to enter South Ossetia from Georgian controlled territory, as the South Ossetian de facto authorities do not facilitate nor allow this.
The European Union, NATO, the OSCE, and the United States immediately voiced displeasure with Russia's decision.
After the Russian recognition, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Vanuatu and Tuvalu soon followed suit and recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. However, in 2013 and 2014, Vanuatu and Tuvalu have scrapped their recognition. Russia has invested a significant money in diplomatic strategy to promote recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and display its soft power. However, Russia seems to have stopped investing in the recognition project after 2014. One of the possible reasons might be worsening of the financial situation in Russia following the Russo-Ukrainian War and international sanctions on Russia. Abkhazia has started a new campaign to strengthen the relations with the foreign countries and present itself as an independent actor. Abkhaz officials have visited a number of countries, including China, Italy, Turkey and Israel. They have also met with the officials from South Africa, Jordan and El Salvador, and sent diplomatic notes to other countries, such as Egypt, France, Guatemala and Sri Lanka. This campaign reached its peak in 2017, but subsequently decreased and largely halted with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Syria is the only country which has recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia since 2009.
Under international law, intergovernmental organisations do not themselves possess the legal capacity to recognise any state diplomatically; their member states do so individually. However, depending on the intergovernmental organisation's rules of internal governance and the positions of their member states, they may express positive or negative opinions as to declarations of independence, or choose to offer or withhold membership to a newly declared state.