International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia facts for kids

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two regions in Georgia, a country located in the Caucasus mountains. Most countries around the world believe these regions are part of Georgia. However, a few countries, like Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria, see them as independent countries. Russia first recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent after a war with Georgia in 2008. The government of Georgia considers these areas to be territories occupied by Russia.

At one point, up to seven UN member states recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But in 2014, Tuvalu stopped recognizing both. Vanuatu also clarified its position, confirming in 2019 that it supports Georgia's full territory, including these two disputed regions. Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognize each other, and some non-UN member states also recognize them.

A Look at History

South Ossetia declared itself independent from Georgia on May 29, 1992, during the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War. Abkhazia also declared its independence after its own war with Georgia between 1992 and 1993.

In August 2008, another war happened, known as the 2008 South Ossetia war. It was fought between Georgia on one side, and South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Russia on the other. This war ended with South Ossetian, Abkhaz, and Russian forces winning and the Georgian military leaving both territories.

Why Russia Recognized Them

After the 2008 war, leaders from Abkhazia and South Ossetia asked Russia to recognize their independence. On August 25, 2008, Russia's parliament voted to ask President Dmitry Medvedev to do so. The next day, President Medvedev signed official orders recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries. Russia also decided to start diplomatic relations with them.

At the United Nations Security Council, the United States strongly criticized Russia. It accused Russia of breaking Georgia's territorial integrity (meaning its right to keep its borders and land whole). Russia's representative, Vitaly Churkin, argued back, pointing out that the U.S. had invaded Iraq in 2003. Others also said the U.S. was being unfair, mentioning its support for Kosovo's independence from Serbia in 2008.

The Russian government was happy when Nicaragua recognized the two regions. Russia asked other countries to "recognize reality" and follow Nicaragua's example. President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua announced his government "recognizes the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia." President Medvedev also signed agreements for friendship, cooperation, and mutual help between Russia and Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These agreements stated that each side would help the other if attacked, protect their borders together, and work on economic, social, and humanitarian issues.

Countries That Recognize Abkhazia or South Ossetia

UN Member States

	Country	When Recognized	Diplomatic relations Started	Notes
1	Russia	August 26, 2008	September 9, 2008	Russia was the first major country to recognize them.
2	Nicaragua	September 5, 2008	September 10, 2009 (Abkhazia) April 14, 2010 (South Ossetia)	Nicaragua was the first country outside Russia to recognize them.
3	Venezuela	September 10, 2009	July 9, 2010 (South Ossetia) July 12, 2010 (Abkhazia)	President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela met with the leaders of both regions.
4	Nauru	December 15, 2009 (Abkhazia) December 16, 2009 (South Ossetia)	December 15, 2009 (Abkhazia) December 16, 2009 (South Ossetia)	Nauru is a small island nation in the Pacific.
5	Syria	May 29, 2018	July 22, 2018	Syria recognized them in 2018.

Other Regions That Recognized Them

Some other regions that are not full UN member states also recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These include Transnistria and, in the past, the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic (which Russia later annexed).

Countries That Used to Recognize Them But Changed Their Minds

UN Member States

	Country	When Recognized	Diplomatic relations Started	Notes
1	Tuvalu	September 18, 2011 (Abkhazia) September 19, 2011 (South Ossetia)		Tuvalu is a small island nation. In 2014, Tuvalu signed an agreement with Georgia, recognizing Georgia's full territory, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
2	Vanuatu	May 23, 2011 (Abkhazia)	May 23, 2011 (Abkhazia)	Vanuatu, another Pacific island nation, recognized Abkhazia in 2011. However, after a change in government, Vanuatu clarified that it supports Georgia's territorial integrity. In 2019, Vanuatu's Foreign Minister confirmed that his country has always recognized Georgia's full territory.

Countries That Do Not Recognize Abkhazia or South Ossetia

Most countries in the world do not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. They believe these regions are part of Georgia. Many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada, have clearly stated their support for Georgia's territorial integrity. They see Russia's recognition as a violation of international law.

For example, Australia's Foreign Minister said Russia's decision was "not a helpful contribution." China expressed concern and hoped for a solution through dialogue. Armenia's President stated that Armenia fully respects Georgia's territorial integrity and considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Georgian territories. Even countries like Belarus, which has close ties with Russia, have not officially recognized them, despite some pressure.

Many countries emphasize that international law requires respecting the borders and independence of existing states. They worry that recognizing these regions could create a dangerous example for other parts of the world.

What International Organizations Say

International organizations themselves cannot officially recognize countries. That's up to their member states. However, they can express their views on declarations of independence.

International Organization	What They Said
United Nations	The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly confirmed that it supports Georgia's sovereignty (its right to govern itself) and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The UN Secretary-General has stated that recognizing new states is a matter for individual countries to decide, but that the situation in the Caucasus could have wider impacts on security.
Collective Security Treaty Organisation	This organization, which includes Russia, supported Russia's stance on the events in the Caucasus. However, its member states decided individually whether to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, based on their own interests.
Council of Europe	The Council of Europe stated that Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia violates the territorial integrity of Georgia, which is a member state. They said it makes it harder to find a peaceful solution.
European Union	The EU leaders strongly condemned Russia's decision. They emphasized that a lasting solution must respect Georgia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as recognized by international law. They also asked other countries not to recognize this independence.
G7	The foreign ministers of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom) issued a joint statement condemning Russia's actions. They said Russia's decision questioned its commitment to peace in the region.
NATO	NATO stated that Russia's actions directly violate many UN Security Council resolutions about Georgia's territorial integrity. NATO strongly supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and has called on Russia to respect these principles.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)	The OSCE said that recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia violates basic OSCE principles. They noted that all member states, including Russia, are committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of others.

See also

• List of states with limited recognition
• 2006 South Ossetian independence referendum