Shevardnadze and Abkhaz Recognition

Recently, the former President of the Republic of Georgia has come out in favor of the Georgian recognition of Abkhaz sovereignty.  Lest anyone think this is simply the ramblings of a disgruntled leader no longer in power, it should be recalled that Shevardnadze was President of Georgia and ordered the invasion of Abkhazia in 1992.  More recently,Shevardnadze has said that he regrets the decision and that it was a mistake.  He recently stated that Abkhazia will never become a part of Georgia and the best possible solution was to recognize Abkhazia and normalize relations.  Predictably, he was accused in Georgia of a lack of patriotism and compared unfavorably to a Nazi.  Shevarnadze's comments followed those of the noted expert on Georgia, Mamuka Areshidze, who has said that Georgia should recognize Abkhazia.