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Article: Georgia, Abkhazia and Russia: Tales from the Black Sea.
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- July 5, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Abkhaz and the Georgians have reason to resent each other--but both need to rebuild trust if they are to have a prosperous future
AT MIDDAY Ochamchira, in Abkhazia, is almost empty. A derelict cement tower and rusty fairground wheel are the backdrop to an empty stretch of Black Sea coast that was once the Soviet riviera. The ageing owner of a bar is reading a book of Soviet recipes, but his only customer is a woman who downs her vinegary red wine and leaves. "This time 15 years ago people were queuing outside," he says. Then there were 25,000 residents; today 3,000 are left.
The ethnic conflict between Georgia and its breakaway enclave, Abkhazia, was ...