Medvedev pays surprise visit to breakaway Abkhazia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made an unannounced visit to Abkhazia Sunday, his first trip to the breakaway Georgian region since Moscow's brief war with Tbilisi two years ago.

Medvedev held talks with Abkhazia's leader, Sergei Bagapsh, and toured the sea embankment of its main city, Sukhumi, on the two-year anniversary of the conflict with Georgia, an AFP correspondent reported.

In the wake of the August 2008 war, Moscow recognized Abkhazia and fellow breakaway region South Ossetia as independent states - a claim acknowledged only by Venezu-ela, Nicaragua and Nauru but condemned by the West.

"It was not a simple decision," Medvedev said, referring to the war. "But time has shown that it was the right decision. The existence of the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia was under threat."

Russian official news agencies confirmed that the visit was the first by Medvedev since Moscow recognized Abkhazia's independence.

Georgia, however, reacted with exasperation to the visit.

"I think it would be better if the Russian president were focused on domestic problems. I think maybe he is trying to distract attention," Gregorian Deputy Prime Minister and Reintegration Minister Temur Yakobashvili told AFP.

Since Moscow's declaration of its independence, Abkhazia has been boosted by significant Russian aid and visits by large numbers of Russian tourists.

AFP