Abkhazia approves agreement on enforcing economic rulings with Russia

The Abkhazian Parliament has ratified an agreement with Russia on recognising and enforcing court rulings in economic cases.

The draft law ‘on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation on the Recognition and Enforcement of Judicial and Arbitration Decisions in Economic Cases’ was introduced to the parliament by Batal Ayba, the parliamentary secretary of Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhaniya.

‘Ratification will contribute to the development of interstate relations, ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of participants in business and other economic activities’, Ayba said.

According to local news outlet Apsadgil, the agreement includes several provisions allowing for exceptions to the mandatory enforcement of court decisions from the partner country. One exception applies if a local court determines that the enforcement of a decision would harm the country’s sovereignty, threaten its security, or conflict with public order.

Abkhazia’s Justice Minister, Anri Bartsits, praised the agreement. He described the legislation as a step towards adopting international practices similar to those based on the principles of the ‘New York convention’, referencing the 1958 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.

According to reports from local news outlets Nuzhnaya Gazeta and Aishara, journalists were not allowed to cover the proceedings.

‘When the president’s controversial initiatives are pushed through parliament, even accredited journalists are barred from attending the session’, Nuzhnaya Gazeta’s Izida Chaniya wrote on her Telegram channel. 

The ratification of this agreement follows Russia’s decision to suspend key aid programmes due to Abkhazia’s failure to implement pro-Russian reforms, including, allegedly, this legislation.

[Read more: Russia cuts financial support to Abkhazia in ‘serious blow’ to relations] 

Two days before the vote, on 23 September, five political organisations issued a joint statement accusing President Bzhaniya of exerting ‘unprecedented pressure […] bordering on outright blackmail’ on Abkhazian lawmakers to ratify the agreement. The groups warned that Bzhaniya’s decision to rush the ratification would have repercussions for his bid for re-election in March.

Speaking at the meeting of the Coordination Council of Law Enforcement Agencies that same day, Bzhaniya harshly criticised actors he portrayed as opponents of deeper ties with Russia, though he avoided naming any individuals.

‘Russia is our brother and friend. No one is talking about joining it. Abkhazia is an independent state, and we must fulfil the obligations we have taken on’, Bzhaniya insisted, addressing fears from some dissenting voices about the full integration of Abkhazia into Russia.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.