Abkhazia and Syria discuss launch of direct sea link
Abkhazia Syria sea link
Abkhazia and Syria are in talks to launch direct sea transport links, Abkhazia’s economy minister, Teimuraz Mikvabia, said.
“We have already signed a number of agreements [with Syria] at both government and agency level, and we are working on transport and logistics ties. In the future we will certainly raise the issue of air links, since Damascus has an operating airport,” Mikvabia said.
Syria recognised Abkhazia’s independence in 2018 under Bashar al-Assad’s government. The new Syrian administration has upheld the decision despite Georgia’s calls for Damascus to withdraw recognition.
In recent years, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Abkhazia has gained the opportunity to act as a transit corridor for sanctions-hit Russia.
In 2025, Sukhumi airport reopened after a 32-year break, handling both passenger and cargo flights from Russia.
Over the past four years, freight traffic on the Abkhaz railway has increased tenfold. As a result, not only the railway but also maritime infrastructure has been actively restored as part of this transit chain. A container terminal has been built at the port of Ochamchira.
By linking sea, rail and air transport, Abkhazia is seeking to position itself as an attractive hub for transit.
Two other factors play in its favour:
Cheaper rates — both for servicing ships and for rail freight — than in Russia.
Security — Abkhaz ports are seen as less risky than Russia’s Black Sea ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse, which have periodically come under attack from Ukrainian forces.
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