Abkhazia will not hold a referendum on joining Russia
Unlike South Ossetia, Abkhazia will not hold a referendum on joining the Russian Federation. The Prime Minister of the breakaway Republic, Artur Mikvabia, said this in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Commenting on the referendum in South Ossetia, Mikvabia said that "Abkhazia is another story."
"The motives of Tskhinvali are clear. The Ossetians are a divided people, some are now living in Russia, others in South Ossetia. That is why there is a desire to reunite. We have a different situation. We want to be an independent state and at the same time a reliable and faithful ally of Great Russia. We deserve our independence, gave thousands of lives of our best sons and daughters for it," the Abkhazian Prime Minister said.
A referendum on joining Russia will be held in South Ossetia in 2017. On May 26th, the relevant document was signed by the president of the self-proclaimed republic, Leonid Tibilov, and speaker of the parliament, Anatoliy Bibilov.
The document notes that its proponents were guided by the "long-term interests of the South Ossetian people" and "a desire to ensure the stability of the socio-political situation in the republic."
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, formerly part of Georgia, declared independence after an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia. The sovereignty of the two republics was recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru.