Alahadze, Abkhazia

This morning, I returned to Sochi from Abkhazia.  I spent Sunday night and Monday in Alahadze, which is about a 10 minute drive south of Gagra.  Alahadze has a number of inexpensive, rustic guesthouses that cater to Russian tourists.  The beach is beautiful and uncrowded and the sea was cool and refreshing.  I walked to the beach past a cemetery and cows grazing under the trees.  But with the Caucasus Mountains as a backdrop, the setting was spectacular.  It seems to me the perfect location to develop quality hotels and restaurants supported by redeveloped infrastructure.  I thought how opportunity is being denied to Abkhazia's people and property owners because of the absence of affordable capital caused by the lack of recognition and the economic blockade. This is the fundamental problem facing Abkhazia's new President and the one that President Bagapsh worked diligently on until his death.  In fact, he had just returned from a trip to Turkey and was scheduled to speak in the United Kingdom on this issue when he died.  The policy is unfair and will not last forever because Abkhazia has too much to offer in the way of opportunity.  International election observers that I spoke to told me the same thing.  

Sitting in Sukhum with a group of from Italy on Sunday, I mentioned that it was not hard to imagine the city as a Caucasus version of La Jolla or Santa Barbara- if only the U.S. had a better policy.  One said "Yes, America has a bad policy in Abkhazia.  It does not reflect reality".

George Hewitt, scholar on the Caucasus and Abkhazia, makes an excellent point when he states that Georgia, the aggressor in both 1992 in Abkhazia and in South Ossetia in 2008, has received tremendous inflows of western capital, but that Abkhazia has not been offered this or paid reparations by Georgia.  I hope that soon the United States will begin to take a serious and objective look at what its policy is achieving in the Caucasus.  It does not promote peace, development or prosperity by supporting Georgia's claim against Abkhazia's territory.

More On Abkhazia's Election

Over the last several days, I have had a number of inquiries from observers about current events in Abkhazia. Several asked about what I observed during the election and what it means for stability.

As I mentioned before, I went to several polling stations and all seemed fair and democractic.  I spoke to a number of  election observers over the next several days and did not hear a complaint about the electoral process. I did hear several remarks that Abkhazia is apparently further along the path of democracy than many of the nations that refuse to recognize it.  This is not the only criteria in the recognition process, but it is an important indicator of what Abkhazia has achieved despite enormous difficulties.  Although only a handful of nations now recognize Abkhazia, I heard recently that several are seriously considering the move.

Abkhazia is a stable place.  There is no sense of unrest or political instability.  Russian troops are not patrolling the streets nor are Russian officials manning the organs of government.  It is a calm and peaceful nation working to develop and integrate with the rest of the world, despite all of the misinformation and propaganda spread by political leaders in the Republic of Georgia.  

I hope that foreign policy experts, tourists and investors will not be dissuaded by the misinformation. If they investigate Abkhazia, they will see the same thing I see: a beautiful, underdeveloped, subtropical paradise for tourists just across the border from one of the world's largest markets.  I spoke to several election observers who saw things the same way.

All three of the Presidential candidates, including President-Elect Ankvab, stressed that Abkhazia needs to seek outside investment and political ties.  Although President Bagapsh died, this reality has not changed.