Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Supported by:
by
Thomas Frear
Research Fellow, European Leadership Network
September 2016
Executive Summary
The Ukrainian revolution of 2014, the
Abkhazian
internationally,
residents
and
to
on
travel
diversifying
method
buttress
where
possible
Abkhazias
of
reducing
Sukhumis
without
Recognition
is
the
guiding
understood
as
status-neutral
Background
The Ukrainian revolution of 2014, the
Federation.
forces
catalysed
by
the
action.1
Deepening Dependence
points.
as
the
European
Union
apparently
It is not the place of this article to discuss the Georgia-Abkhazia peace process at length, only to
comment on areas to which the EU has contributed and how its policy could be developed.
2
- : , , 24
November 2014, http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/252874/ Accessed October 2016
Russian
implementation
of
the
CIS
government.
Georgian
efforts
to
prohibit
statehood
substantially
altered
the
prudent,
restricting
economic
governmental
provision
encouraging
such
renewed
the
union
Abkhazians
with
into
Georgia
of
agreements
and
considerable
the
Russian
Abkhazia.
History of EU involvement in
Abkhazia
the
European
Neighbourhood
Policy
utilisation
as
technical
assistance
system,
sub-governmental
level
and
the
By 2008 the EU
Nino Kereselidze (2015) The engagement policies of the European Union, Georgia and Russia
towards Abkhazia, Caucasus Survey, 3:3, 309-322. P. 312
4
European Scrutiny Committee, UK Parliament, committee assessment of the EU Special
Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, 2015,
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmeuleg/219-xxxi/21908.htm
Accessed November 2016
5 See Liana Kvarchelia (2012) Perceptions of the EU in Abkhazia and Prospects for the EU-Abkhazia
Engagement, Centre for Humanitarian Programmes, http://www.cr.org/downloads/PPP_2012analysis1_EN_0.pdf Accessed October 2016
6 European Commission, European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, Georgia: Country
Strategy Paper, 2007- 2013, https://eeas.europa.eu/enp/pdf/pdf/country/enpi_csp_georgia_en.pdf
Accessed October 2016
7 Nino Kereselidze (2015) The engagement policies of the European Union, Georgia and Russia
towards Abkhazia, Caucasus Survey, 3:3, 309-322. P. 312
8 Project specifics can be found here,
http://eeas.europa.eu/archives/delegations/georgia/documents/projects/euprojects_2011_en.pdf
Accessed October 2016
9 Dominic Fean (2009, September) Making Good Use of the EU in Georgia: The Eastern Partnership
and Conflict Policy, Russie Nei Visions No. 44 p.9
Caucasus in 2011.13
the
form
11
European
of
Neighbourhood
contracts
and
grants
and
to
However the
European
Neighbourhood
Instrument
10
projects in Abkhazia.16
actor.18
Russia
and
Abkhazia
has
very
of
activities.
Georgian-Abkhazian negotiations.
clear
that
full
recognition
19
possibility.20
16
Policy Recommendations
The continued lack of clarity regarding
failure
without
section
of
Recognition.
Engagement
The
following
the EU.
areas,
international
travel
and
the
in the future.
cooperated
and
international
such
Occupied
with
the
the future.
for
21
the
wider
populous
should
be
Thomas De Waal (2015) Crimea, Russia and Options for Engagement in Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, Carnegie Europe, http://carnegieeurope.eu/publications/?fa=62122 Accessed October 2016
Foreign
and
Commonwealth
Office-
neutral.
The
however,
sponsored,
documents.
for
precedent
the
does
issuance
politically
neutral
exist,
of
UN
travel
the EU.
Russian passports.
Georgia to Issue Abkhaz and Ossetians Passports, Granting Visa Free Travel to EU, Georgia Today,
21 March 2016, http://georgiatoday.ge/news/3323/Georgia-to-Issue-Abkhaz-and-OssetiansPassports,-Granting-Visa-Free-Travel-to-EU Accessed October 2016
23
Under Abkhazian law it is illegal to hold dual citizenship with any state other than Russia, whilst an
Abkhazian passport is necessary for participation in civic life. Ethnic-Georgian residents of Gali already
rely on Georgian passports due to the revocation of their Abkhazian documents in 2014.
24 Thomas Frear (2015) Abkhazia and the west: Rehabilitating engagement without recognition,
European Leadership Network, http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/abkhazia-and-the-westrehabilitating-engagement-without-recognition_2370.html Accessed October 2016
10
combination
with
coordinated
reliance
on
Russia.
Western
control.
Agreement
(AA)
and
origin.
Georgia.
Transnistria/Moldova
conflict
agriculture,
With
the
conflicts.
Transnistrian
logging.
The
and
remains
11
considerable.
evident
following
Abkhazias
25
12
30
reassessment
of
the
previous
highlighted the
verification
January 2016
on
the
Georgian
side
32
it is rapidly becoming
potential
to
become
an
important
29
A potential complication arises from Abkhazias handing over control of its railway system to
Russian management for a ten-year period in May 2009, under this agreement Abkhazia was set to
receive a 2 million-rouble credit from Moscow for reconstruction of the railway that has since
resulted in a considerable increase in traffic.
30 Natalia Mirimanova (2013) Rehabilitation of the Railways in the South Caucasus: Assessment of the
Potential Economic Benefits, International Alert, http://www.internationalalert.org/sites/default/files/Caucasus_RailwaysRehabilitationPt1_EN_2013.pdf Accessed October
2016
31 14%, , 4 October 2016,
http://www.apsnypress.info/news/passazhiropotok-v-abkhaziyu-uvelichilsya-na-14/ Accessed
October 2016
32 GE-01 Enguri/Vardnili HPP Rehabilitation grant, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia,
https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/georgia/6950/ge-01-engurivardnili-hpp-rehabilitation---grant_en
Accessed November 2016
33 Izida Chanya & Regina Jegorova-Askerova (2016), Abkhazia, Georgia's Energy Security at Risk,
Institute for War & Peace Reporting, https://iwpr.net/global-voices/abkhazia-georgias-energysecurity-risk Accessed October 2016
13
between
Tbilisi
and
authorities recognise
Sukhumi.
this,
Both
with the
financial
and
technical
coordinated
Neighbourhood Instrument.
34
through
the
support
European
Georgia to supply Abkhazia with power as Inguri Dam closes for maintenance, Democracy &
Freedom Watch, 12 March 2015, http://dfwatch.net/georgia-to-supply-abkhazia-with-power-asinguri-dam-closes-for-maintenance-34259 Accessed October 2016
14
Conclusion
The Russian recognition of Abkhazia in
permit
development
in
Abkhazia
South Caucasus.
that
Moscow
will
undertake
what
security structure.
interests.
EU
become permanent.
15
support
for
Georgian
territorial
References
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Delegation of the European Union to Georgia (2016), GE-01 Enguri/Vardnili HPP Rehabilitation
grant,
https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/georgia/6950/ge-01-engurivardnili-hpprehabilitation---grant_en Accessed November 2016
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for maintenance, 12 March 2015, http://dfwatch.net/georgia-to-supply-abkhazia-withpower-as-inguri-dam-closes-for-maintenance-34259 Accessed October 2016
De Waal, Thomas (2015) Crimea, Russia and Options for Engagement in Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, Carnegie Europe, http://carnegieeurope.eu/publications/?fa=62122 Accessed
October 2016
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Country
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16
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https://www.eumm.eu/en/home Accessed October 2016
Fean, Dominic (2009, September) Making Good Use of the EU in Georgia: The Eastern
Partnership and Conflict Policy, Russie Nei Visions No. 44
Frear, Thomas (2015) Abkhazia and the west: Rehabilitating engagement without recognition,
European Leadership Network, http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/abkhazia-andthe-west-rehabilitating-engagement-without-recognition_2370.html Accessed October 2016
Georgia Today, Georgia to Issue Abkhaz and Ossetians Passports, Granting Visa Free Travel
to EU, 21 March 2016, http://georgiatoday.ge/news/3323/Georgia-to-Issue-Abkhaz-andOssetians-Passports,-Granting-Visa-Free-Travel-to-EU Accessed October 2016
The HALO Trust, Georgia https://www.halotrust.org/where-we-work/europe-andcaucasus/georgia/ Accessed November 2016
Jeppsson, Emilia (2015) A Differentiated, Balanced and Patient Approach? The EUs
Involvement with Georgias Secessionist Conflicts beyond the August 2008 War, College of
Europe, p.14
Kereselidze, Nino (2015) The engagement policies of the European Union, Georgia and Russia
towards Abkhazia, Caucasus Survey, 3:3, 309-322
Kvarchelia, Liana (2012) Perceptions of the EU in Abkhazia and Prospects for the EU-Abkhazia
Engagement,
Centre
for
Humanitarian
Programmes,
http://www.cr.org/downloads/PPP_2012analysis1_EN_0.pdf Accessed October 2016
Mirimanova, Natalia (2013) Rehabilitation of the Railways in the South Caucasus: Assessment
of the Potential Economic Benefits, International Alert, http://www.internationalalert.org/sites/default/files/Caucasus_RailwaysRehabilitationPt1_EN_2013.pdf
Accessed
October 2016
Mirimanova, Natalia (2015), Abkhazia: Regulations for Trade with Disputed Statehood,
Politorbis Nr. 60 2 / 2015 p.14
RFE/RL, Envoy Says EU Expanding Presence In Abkhazia, 05 February 2015,
http://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-abkhazia-salber/26831819.html Accessed October 2016
, 18%, 1 August 2016,
http://www.apsnypress.info/news/vneshnetorgovyy-oborot-abkhazii-vyros-na-18/ Accessed
October 2016
, 14%, 4 October 2016,
http://www.apsnypress.info/news/passazhiropotok-v-abkhaziyu-uvelichilsya-na-14/
Accessed October 2016
, - : ,
24 November 2014, http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/252874/ Accessed October 2016
17