Sukhum, A campaign to nominate presidential candidates starts in Abkhazia on Monday and will last until July 17.

Abkhazia will go to the polls to elect a new president on August 26, following the death of President Sergei Bagapsh on May 29. Bagapsh, 62, who had led Abkhazia since 2005, died in Moscow following an operation on his right lung.

06.27.2011  RIA Novosti

Vanuatu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfred Carlot has apologised for the miscommunication between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vanuatu’s UN Representative-Donald Kalpokas in New York.
 

Minister Carlot said, was due to his absence on a multilateral mission abroad in Seoul.
 

But he made Vanuatu’s stand on recognition for Abkhazia clear when he revealed Vanuatu is looking forward to establishing Trade relations with the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of Georgia in the “very near future”.
 

“As the Minister of Foreign Affairs I reaffirm Vanuatu’s recognition to the Republic of Abkhazia,” said minister Carlot.
 

“Vanuatu signed diplomatic relations with the Republic of Abkhazia in Port Vila on May 23, 2011 by Prime minister Sato Kilman.
 

“Vanuatu conducts an open foreign policy and is amongst other members of the international community in eradicating colonialism from the face of this planet. Vanuatu is neutral; our recognition of Abkhazia does not in any way mean that we cannot have diplomatic relations with the Republic of Georgia.

“We wish to extend our most sincere invitation to the Republic of Georgia to establish relations with us.
 

“One of our roving ambassadors will be visiting the region later this year.”
 

Minister Carlot further revealed that having personally studied at the Moscow University on an exchange scheme( MGIMO) in 1987 he has a “very good understanding of the geo-political situation in that region”.
 

Abkhazia has Sergei Bagapsh as its president and Georgia’s president is Mikheil Saakashvili.
 

Boasting a population of over 250,000 (Christians and Islamists) with agricultural (citrus fruit, tobacco, tea, timber,) coal and hydro-electric power as its natural resources Abkhazia is considered to be the break away region of Georgia(1992-1993 war) and its economy is highly dependent on Russia.
Despite declaring its independence in 1999 it is not recognised by many international communities and Vanuatu is only the second country in the Pacific after Nauru to recognise Abkhazia.
 

Here are some key dates in the history of Abkhazia as provided by the BBC:
 

756 - Independent kingdom formed, 985 - Becomes part of Georgia, later regaining independence, 1578 - Comes under Turkish rule , 1810 - Russia declares Abkhazia a protectorate,1864 - Russia annexes Abkhazia,1931 - Soviet authorities incorporate Abkhazia into Georgia,1991 - Georgia declares independence ,1992 - Georgia sends troops to stop Abkhazia breaking away ,1993 - Fierce fighting ends with Georgian forces being expelled from Abkhazia ,1994 - Ceasefire agreed, peacekeepers arrive, nearly all Russian ,1999 - Abkhazia declares independence ,2004 - New Georgian president Saakashvili vows to restore Georgia’s territorial integrity and return Abkhazia, South Ossetia to the fold ,2008 - Russia formally recognises Abkhazia’s independence, following the Russian-Georgian war over South Ossetia and 2009 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits.

source: http://www.governmentofvanuatu.gov.vu  06.17.2011

Sukhum, Abkhazia will go to the polls to elect a new president on August 26, following the death of President Sergei Bagapsh on May 29.

The date was set by a resolution passed by the Parliament of Abkhazia on Wednesday.

Bagapsh, 62, who had led Abkhazia since 2005, died in Moscow following an operation on his lungs.

Abkhazia, a de facto independent state, declared indepence from Georgia following a war in 1992-3. It was recognized by Russia in 2008 following a war between Russia and Georgia after Georgian forces entered South Ossetia.

It is recognized only by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Vanuatu.

06.08.2011  RIA Novosti

The Pacific Republic of Vanuatu has recognized the independence of Abkhazia and will announce it officially on Monday, the Abkhazian Foreign Minister Maxim Gunjia told the VoR. Earlier Georgia’s media have denied the fact, citing Vanuatu’s envoy to the UN.

The FM said that the countries signed a diplomatic treaty on May 23 and adopted a visa-free regime.

The of Abkhazia was recognized in 2008 first by Russia and then by Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Republic of Nauru.

06.04.2011  The Voice of Russia

Sukhum, Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh was buried on Thursday in his native village after a funeral parade through Abkhazia's capital, Sukhum.

Bagapsh died in Moscow on Sunday of complications following surgery on his right lung. The 62-year-old was seen as a hero by many Abkhaz for leading the republic to independence from Georgia, although the republic has only been recognized by Russia and four other countries.

The funeral day started with a memorial service in Sukhum that was attended by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The president's coffin was then paraded through the streets of the capital on a military gun carriage with an honor guard.

After the procession, the coffin was driven about 50 kilometers to the village of Dzhgerda in the Ochamchira District, where Bagapsh was buried next to his parents, near the house where he was born.

An honor guard fired 10 artillery rounds over the grave and a brass band played the national anthem of Abkhazia.

"These people are born rarely. Before his birth, our family was not known, and now he will go down in history," a cousin of the president said at the burial.

Bagapsh, Abkhazia's president since 2005, was reelected in 2009.

06.02.2011  RIA Novosti

Sukhum, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Sukhum on Thursday to pay his last respects to the late Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh.

Bagapsh, 62, died on May 29 after undergoing surgery on his right lung at a Moscow clinic. A mourning ceremony was held in Moscow, after which his remains were flown to Abkhazia.

Russia's prime minister will take part in another mourning ceremony for Bagapsh, which will be held in Sukhum's Philharmonic Hall. Then Bagapsh's body will be buried in the village of Dzhgerda in the Ochamchira district where his parents are buried.

It is expected that in Sukhum Putin will also meet with Abkhazian Vice President Alexander Ankvab, who is presently acting president of the republic, and Abkhaz Prime Minister Sergei Shamba.

06.02.2011  RIA Novosti