Georgias rebel Abkhazia calls for independence

"After the recognition of the independence of Kosovo by a large number of Western states, the geopolitical situation has changed significantly and conditions favourable to the recognition of Abkhazia’s independence have appeared," the rebel regions parliament said in a statement. "The right to freedom and independence is possessed equally by all," it said. Â

The statement called on the United Nations and individual countries to "consider the recognition of the republic of Abkhazia as an independent, sovereign state." A separate statement called on Russia’s lower and upper houses, the State Duma and Federation Council, to do the same. The Duma will consider the issue at a hearing on March 13, the deputy chairman of its international affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, told Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency.

The declaration followed a similar vote Wednesday by Georgia’s other separatist region, South Ossetia, which also cited Kosovo in a call for the international community to recognize its self-declared independence. The two regions rebel leaders, Sergei Bagapsh of Abkhazia and Eduard Kokoity of South Ossetia, told Interfax that their provinces had as much right to independence as Kosovo.

"We call on the international community to refuse double standards and recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Bagapsh said. "For us the situation with the recognition of Kosovo is a precedent and all talk of the uniqueness of that case is not credible", he added.

 Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in conflicts in the early 1990s in which thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands of ethnic-Georgians were forced to leave their homes. With economic and diplomatic support from Russia, the two Caucasus mountain provinces have existed as de facto independent states since then. However, no country, including Russia, recognises their independence and Georgia says it intends to restore control.

Moscow fought unsuccessfully to prevent Western recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Russian ally Serbia. Moscow had warned that it could take any recognition of Kosovo as a precedent in dealing with other separatist struggles.

Friday’s vote came as Georgia condemned Russia for an "extremely dangerous" decision to open up trade with Abkhazia. Russia announced Thursday it was lifting trade restrictions imposed on Abkhazia in 1996. "Its an extremely dangerous provocation that encourages separatism and aims to deepen tensions in the conflict zone," the Georgian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement accused Moscow of "trying to violate Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity." The Georgian foreign ministry said the sanctions had prevented Russia from supplying arms to Abkhazia and accused Moscow of preparing "the basis for providing the separatist government with military assistance and establishing its military presence in Abkhazia".