(De Facto States blog) President Aslan Bzhania had an important meeting with his counterpart Vladimir Putin on November 12, 2020. With the ongoing global pandemic and subsequent collapse of the tourism sector paired with an energy crisis, Abkhazia has been facing difficult times stabilizing its economy and is in desperate need of external assistance. However, this time the Russian supply came with a remarkable price tag. A set of conditions that Bzhania had to agree upon contained the 45-point list “The Formation of a Common Socio-Economic Space Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia on the Basis of the Harmonization of Legislations”. Many of the demands did not come as a surprise, as discussions over similar issues have been held with former president Sergey Bagapsh as well. Nonetheless, the element of crises puts immense pressure on Abkhazians and leaves little space for maneuvering. […]
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