Separatist gov't of occupied Abkhazia bans USAID project implementation

10:38, 09.12.2023

The separatist government of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region banned the implementation of the USAID project.

Also, at the decision of the de-facto Abkhazian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Inal Ardzinba, the new Head of the USAID Mission in the Caucasus, based in Tbilisi, John A. Pennel, appointed in 2022, was prohibited from entering the occupied Abkhazian territory.

As the de-facto minister said, the USAID project, with a value of USD 8 million, contained “deliberately vague formulations of the goals and objectives of this project. During the practical implementation of this project, attempts were identified to create dialogue platforms in online and offline formats in order to establish direct contact between citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia and citizens of Georgia, including among refugees.”

The de-facto minister added that the information “posed a threat to the national security of the Republic of Abkhazia.”

By - Elene Dobordjginidze

Conflicts

USAID

Инал Ардзинба