“We unanimously and firmly condemn Russia’s occupation, militarisation and other actions aimed at annexation of the occupied regions of Georgia, a new expression of which is the opening of a permanent Russian naval base in Ochamchire port,” read the MPs’ statement.
Weeks earlier Abkhazia’s de facto leader, Aslan Bzhania, had confirmed an agreement had been signed with the Kremlin on a permanent naval base in the Black Sea port of Ochamchire.
He says the government is more focused on Georgian citizens being killed or kidnapped by Russian forces near the line of occupation that separates Georgia from its breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
BBC Newsnight and Verify have analysed satellite imagery that indicates new dredging and construction work at the port, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to Abkhazia’s de facto administration, that dredging work meant Ochamchire could now host larger cargo ships with a displacement volume of up to 13,000 tonnes.
Not only does that play into Georgian fears of being sucked into the war, but there are concerns that Tbilisi’s own plans for a mega-infrastructure project on the Black Sea coast could be impeded.
The original article contains 917 words, the summary contains 192 words. Saved 79%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
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“We unanimously and firmly condemn Russia’s occupation, militarisation and other actions aimed at annexation of the occupied regions of Georgia, a new expression of which is the opening of a permanent Russian naval base in Ochamchire port,” read the MPs’ statement.
Weeks earlier Abkhazia’s de facto leader, Aslan Bzhania, had confirmed an agreement had been signed with the Kremlin on a permanent naval base in the Black Sea port of Ochamchire.
He says the government is more focused on Georgian citizens being killed or kidnapped by Russian forces near the line of occupation that separates Georgia from its breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
BBC Newsnight and Verify have analysed satellite imagery that indicates new dredging and construction work at the port, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to Abkhazia’s de facto administration, that dredging work meant Ochamchire could now host larger cargo ships with a displacement volume of up to 13,000 tonnes.
Not only does that play into Georgian fears of being sucked into the war, but there are concerns that Tbilisi’s own plans for a mega-infrastructure project on the Black Sea coast could be impeded.
The original article contains 917 words, the summary contains 192 words. Saved 79%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!