Georgia reacted furiously on Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Moscow-backed separatist region of Abkhazia on the anniversary of the outbreak of a brief war between Tbilisi and Moscow. It was condemned by the Georgian government as a "cynical action".
Abkhazia is internationally recognised as part of ex-Soviet Georgia but Russian Federation sees it as a separate country - along with another region, South Ossetia - following the brief war with Georgia. Only a few countries followed Russia's lead.
Putin visited the Black Sea resort town of Pitsunda in Abkhazia for talks with the leader of the self-proclaimed country, Raul Khajimba, on the ninth anniversary of the start of the war on Aug 8, 2008.
"We reliably guarantee the security, self-sufficiency and independence of Abkhazia. I am confident this will continue into the future", Putin said.
Putin also said Russian Federation would invest 6 billion rubles ($100 million) in the Abkhazian economy by 2019.
After laying flowers on the graves of Georgian soldiers who died in 2008, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said on Tuesday: "Today, while grieving about the losses we have had during this tragedy, we see the president of the Russian Federation visiting Georgian Abkhazia".
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You also get a free Broncos collector card. "Others might be safe, but we do not know for certain that they are safe", Ross said. By wearing the glasses, you will safely see the eclipse and protect your eyes for the next one in 2024.
According to the Reuters news agency, A North Atlantic Treaty Organisation spokesman said Russian authorities should have coordinated the president's visit with Georgia in advance.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Putin's visit to Abkhazia "serves for legitimisation of the forceful change of borders of the sovereign state through military aggression, ethnic cleansing, and occupation".
It urged Moscow to cease "provocative actions" and called on the worldwide community to respond to Russia's "aggressive steps".
During a visit to Tbilisi last week, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed Washington's support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and denounced Russia's "aggression" and "occupation" of Georgian territory. The statement added: "NATO is united in full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders".
Russian Federation recognizes both regions as independent nations and deploys its military there despite worldwide condemnation. "We will not recognize any attempts to change the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as regions of Georgia".
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