GEORGIA: For Abkhazia, a land of soaring mountains and sub-tropical coast, Russia’s recognition was supposed to be a ticket to a bright new future. Or so residents thought.

There was rejoicing in the streets of Sukhumi last August after Russia fought a war with Georgia and went on to recognize as independent two parts of Georgia—Abkhazia and South Ossetia—despite protests from the West and from Georgia itself.

Ten months on and after winning recognition from just one other country, Nicaragua, the Abkhaz authorities’ efforts look a little ragged. One tactic has been to encourage ethnic Abkhaz to resettle here from Turkey, to which their ancestors fled in the 19th century.

Abkhaz officials have been visiting the suburbs of Istanbul to speak to ethnic Abkhaz, hoping for a demographic boost back home, where the total population is less than 250,000 inhabitants, of whom 100,000 are ethnic Abkhaz.

But for some who make the “return”, the transition has been harder than expected—a “big shock,” says Hayri Kutarba, a television producer focussed on issues connected to Abkhazia’s diaspora.

More controversial has been a cementing of ties with Abkhazia’s political backer Russia in spheres ranging from border control to oil fields and railways. Several local opposition groups got together recently to denounce this tendency, accusing president Sergei Bagapsh of “hurting the country’s economy.” Opposition politician Astamour Tanya, a co-leader of the Forum for National Unity of Abkhazia, says Abkhazia risks falling into a state of “parasitism” due to its heavy dependence on Russia. “No sector will develop if we don’t make an effort ourselves,” he said.

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