Abkhazia does not need Kosovo as a precedent for its claim for independence, the Abkhazian president Sergey Bagapsh has said. The unrecognised republic “has had statehood both within the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union”.
He added his people have historically relied on and are committed to Russia. “We are a small but self-sufficient country today. Big countries merge into unions and alliances. Abkhazia is no exception here, it might join in union with Russia. Our hopes are on Russia, and it’s not only the position of the leadership but of the people,” he said.