Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Georgia's Russian-occupied regions
- Admin
- 24 hours ago
- 4 min read
By James C. Pearce
Nauru has severed its diplomatic ties with South Ossetia and Abkhazia effective immediately, withdrawing its recognition of Georgia's breakaway jurisdictions as independent states.
"The relevant countries will be formally notified through the appropriate diplomatic channels," the government of Nauru said in a brief media statement posted on its Facebook page.
The Russian-occupied self-declared independent states broke away from Georgia in 2008.
Two other Pacific island nations, Vanuatu and Tuvalu, previously granted South Ossetia and Abkhazia diplomatic recognition, but later rescinded the action in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Georgia's foreign ministry welcomed Nauru's move, as it stands ready to establish diplomatic relations with the Pacific island nation.
"The decision once again confirms that respect for and adherence to the norms of international law constitute the foundation of sound international relations," the ministry said in a statement published by The Messenger Online.
Georgia is a nation in the South Caucasus, bordering Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkiye. The nation with a 3,000-year history gained its independence from the USSR in 1991.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia became delicate sticking points. Both regions have
become strategically important in geopolitics, especially for Russia, since the Soviet collapse.
They have allowed the Kremlin to expand its sphere of influence beyond its borders using both soft and hard power.
In the 21st century, the Pacific island nations have been caught up in whether to recognize the European hinterlands as Russia, China and the West compete for influence.
Under Soviet rule, both Abkhazia and South Ossetia held autonomous status within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic due to their unique cultural and historic differences.
Following the Soviet collapse, rising Georgian nationalism prompted both regions to declare independence, sparking brutal civil wars. Separatist forces, covertly backed by Russia, expelled Georgian military forces from both regions.
This led to the mass displacement of over 200,000 ethnic Georgians, particularly from Abkhazia.
In 2003, Georgia experienced the Rose Revolution. Mass protests in response to rigged elections, mass poverty and corruption ushered in a new era of democratic governance, which sought to integrate Georgia with the European Union and NATO. It has yet to join either.
The revolution angered the Kremlin on several fronts. It blamed the CIA and U.S. government for instigating the revolution in a friendly country on Russia’s border and within its sphere of influence, casting it as an attempt to undermine Russia’s domestic political situation.
There was a real fear within Kremlin circles that Russia, now with a booming economy and domestic peace following the Chechen Wars, could face political instability. In the aftermath of the Color Revolutions, which included Ukraine’s Orange Revolution and Kyrgyzstan’s Tulip Revolution, Russia-West relations turned frosty.
In 2008, the brief Russo-Georgian war saw Russia invade and annex the two regions, which swiftly declared their independence and Russia recognized.
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Ever since, both have been practically cut off from Georgia, surrounded by barbed wire fences and with checkpoints administered by the Russian army.
Today both regions rely on Russia for military, political and financial support. Roughly 90 percent of Abkhazians and South Ossetians possess Russian citizenship and travel frequently across the open borders. Many more have migrated to Russia.
Abkhazia, a coastal Black Sea region, is known as a popular tourist destination full of wellness resorts. It briefly enjoyed independence following the 1917 Russian Revolution. Alongside tourism, it is a major exporter of agricultural products such as wine, fruit and tea, and is famed for its local Cossack groups.
Recent years have seen its relationship with Moscow strained as protests erupted over Russian officials pressuring local governments to push legislation through.
A close Putin aide has recently been tasked with increasing Russia’s oversight and influence here. South Ossetia, meanwhile, looks set to deepen its ties with Russia.
On May 9, the holiday which celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, the two sides signed a “Treaty on Deepening Allied Interaction Between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia,” allowing Russian citizens to hold government positions in the occupied region, and vice versa.
The Russian State Duma ratified the treaty in mid-May.
Russia and South Ossetia committed to take further steps toward creating a “single economic space”, harmonizing legislation governing business activity, moving toward common rules for external borrowing and foreign investment, as well as the gradual integration in the energy, transport, communications, and telecommunications industries.
On June 23, Alan Gagloev, who had served as de facto president of South Ossetia since 2022, resigned his post and announced he was joining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration as an advisor.
Gagloev called it a step toward fulfilling his “cherished dream” of South Ossetia’s incorporation into the Russian Federation.
Marat Kambolov, a former Russian government official of Ossetian descent, has been installed as Gagloev’s replacement.
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Naoero, then, is just the latest move in that direction. The outcome of the war in Ukraine and realignment of Pacific nations towards China could prove significant in how the Pacific views Europe’s hinterlands and Russia.
For now, the Pacific sees this as a European war and affair.
Yet, Russia and Georgia are also trying to re-establish diplomatic ties following the election of Georgian Dream, a pro-Russian party.
Moreover, the closer Moscow and Beijing become, the more passive pressure will start to mount – especially if the war ends on terms favorable toward Moscow.
At some point, all nations must decide whether they are to recognize the four annexed territories and Crimea as part of Russia, and perhaps later Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly accepted that they cannot be regained militarily. The same is true of Georgia’s government, which Moscow has a lot to gain from bettering ties with. For Europe and the U.S., these will be hard pills to swallow.
For the Pacific, it will be like ripping off a Band-Aid; little to gain, but little harm done.
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