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Tbilisi: Russia blockade squeezes Abkhaz separatists

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  • Tbilisi: Russia blockade squeezes Abkhaz separatists

    The Messenger, Georgia
    Dec 1 2004

    Russia blockade squeezes Abkhaz separatists
    By M. Alkhazashvili

    Russian officials have threatened to close the Russian-Abkhaz border
    and to establish an economic blockade. On November 23 the governor of
    Krasnodar Alexander Tkachov advised the Russian to close the Abkhaz
    border until the situation is improved there. He also suggested that
    the authorities stop paying pensions to Abkhaz who were granted
    Russian citizenship some times ago.

    In effect, however, such threats have already become a reality since
    the Sokhumi-Sochi train-line has been closed for two weeks now and
    the border is only open for one hour a day. This has had a
    detrimental effect on Abkhazia's economy, Georgian media reports, as
    now is the season for picking tangerines and it is difficult to
    transport the fruit into Russia. Akhali Taoba reports that if this
    continues, Abkhaz citizens will loss a main source of income.

    Furthermore, Rezonansi reports that those Abkhaz refuges living in
    Krasnodar - there are reportedly about 5,000 Abkhaz and 10-12,000
    Armenian refuges in the region - have been ordered to leave the
    territory. The newspaper reports that the refugees have problems not
    only with Russians, but also with local citizens.

    Rezonansi goes on to report that Russia is threatening to stem the
    number of Russian tourists traveling to the unrecognized republic
    during the summer tourist season, which is another major source of
    Abkhaz income.

    The supporters of presidential candidate Sergei Baghapsh see these
    steps made by Russia as "pressure" intended to remind Abkhaz of the
    importance of ties with Russia. They state further that the economic
    blockade is due to the fact that the governor of Krasnodar is not
    fully informed with regard to Baghapsh and his supporters, and that
    if he fully understood their position the blockade would be lifted.
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