Soon after the visit, Abkhazian President Sergey Bagapsh paid a visit to France. It is pretty interesting that these two statesmen paid important visits to France right before the latter became the European Union president on July 1, 2008. It is also interesting that Bagapsh’s visit took place despite objections from the Georgian ambassador to Paris.Does French President Nicolas Sarkozy seek to make his country influential in Central Asia and the Caucasus by shifting from the Mediterranean to these regions? Will independence movements in a number of regions, including Kosovo and the Black Sea region, attract support from Paris? Does France, which enjoys observatory status in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), seek influence in the Black Sea region? Is it eager to reconsider its policy on the said regions by relying on its position as the EU term president?
Even though Kosovo does not constitute a single example, it is a reality that Abkhazia is also seeking independence and promoting this move following Kosovo’s independence on Feb. 17, 2008. Bagapsh held a press conference in Sohum where he made assessments on the Paris visit and noted that he briefed the French people on the Abkhazia issue. Bagapsh also recalled that negotiations and talks in the southern Caucasus will not create anything fruitful without the participation of the Russian Federation, that they would participate in the Abkhazia-Georgia talks only if Georgia withdraws its military presence in Upper Codor and signs an agreement by which it will commit to non-aggression. Bagapsh also noted that the amount of the Russian peace forces within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was increased upon request by Abkhazia under current agreements. He further concluded that an agreement may be signed between Abkhazia and the Russian Federation as in the example of the US and Taiwan to make sure that a war will not break out in the region.
The strategic partnership agreement between France and Kazakhstan will make France more powerful and influential in the Caspian region. Bagapsh’s visit to a non-CIS country, France, is also important considering Abkhazian attempts to integrate with the world. Paris’ reception of Bagapsh despite protests by Tbilisi shows how important and multidimensional this visit was. Bagapsh’s visit to Turkey, scheduled to take place on April 21-25, 2007 was postponed for health reasons to fall 2007. Bagapsh’s unofficial visit to Turkey on Oct. 17-24 2007 was once more postponed because of turmoil in Georgia and the upcoming presidential elections in this country. In summer 2008, Bagapsh is expected to visit Jordan.
