Georgia says any commercial ops in Abkhazia to be deemed as illegal
Abkhazia is a separatist region and any commercial activities on this territory would be illegal, Georgia's First Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said at a press conference on June 17.
Zalkaliani commented Abkhazian media reports that Rosneft is going to conduct oil exploration in the territory of Abkhazia for 45 years. According to the same sources, one of the partners of Rosneft will be Chevron company.
According to Zalkaliani, the civilized world does not recognize the independence of Abkhazia and so any commercial transactions there will be deemed as illegal.
"Specifically, on this occasion I have no information, but I doubt that Chevron was a partner, based on the fact that the all civilized world does not recognize the independence of Abkhazia. They know very well what may follow after these commercial operations," Zalkaliani said.
Large scale military action was launched in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military.
Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. In response, Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced the two unrecognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as being occupied territories.