Coronavirus live updates | Uncertainty over Georgia resuming international tourism on 1 July

•1 min read

We want to hear from you! You can send us your stories, photos, and videos about the coronavirus via Facebook, Twitter, or email at contact@oc-media.org.

OC Media •

2456 articles•0 Followers

Open Caucasus Media brings you news, commentary, multimedia, and podcasts from the North and South Caucasus.

Bidzina Ivanishvili. Image: Georgian Dream / Facebook.

2024 Georgian Parliamentary Elections

Georgian Dream breaks silence by denying confederation plans with Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Shota Kincha

••3 min read

Georgian Dream has firmly denied claims they are considering forming a confederate state with Abkhazia and South Ossetia — after 50 days of avoiding the clarification. On Sunday, Georgian Dream’s parliamentary leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze, voiced frustration at what he called ‘anti-national rumours’ about the alleged plan. Taking his frustration to Facebook, Mdinaradze declared that ‘Georgia will never question its territorial integrity!’ ‘No recognition or other anti-national issues are unde

Sergei Lavrov. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

2008 August War

Russia offers to help Georgia ‘normalise relations’ with Abkhazia and South Ossetia

OC Media

••2 min read

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia is ready to help Georgia ‘normalise relations’ with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a statement that was met with positivity by the ruling Georgian Dream party. In response to a reporter’s question about Georgian relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia during a press conference at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov said that ‘if there is an interest in the normalisation of these relations, in order to ensure non-aggression a

Abkhazia

Abkhazia approves agreement on enforcing economic rulings with Russia

Shota Kincha

••2 min read

The Abkhazian Parliament has ratified an agreement with Russia on recognising and enforcing court rulings in economic cases. The draft law ‘on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation on the Recognition and Enforcement of Judicial and Arbitration Decisions in Economic Cases’ was introduced to the parliament by Batal Ayba, the parliamentary secretary of Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhaniya. ‘Ratification will contribute to the development of

1992–1993 War in Abkhazia

Russia demands removal of Shamil Basayev photo from Abkhazian museum

OC Media

••3 min read

Abkhazia’s State Museum has closed its modern history wing after the Russian Embassy reportedly demanded the removal of a photo of Chechen rebel commander Shamil Basayev. On Tuesday, the Russian Embassy in Abkhazia told RBK that they had submitted a complaint to Abkhazia about the photo, and that the museum intended to ‘rectify the current situation as soon as possible’. The complaint comes at a low point of relations between Abkhazia and Russia, and follows Russia’s decision to cut fundi