Abkhazia on alert after discovering footbridge in disputed village on Russian border

A new pedestrian bridge on the Russian-Abkhaz border has Abkhazia concerned. It was built in the village of Aibga which has stretched out the border demarcation process between Moscow and Sukhum.

Now one part of the village divided by the Psou River belongs to Russia, and the other to Abkhazia.

It is because of this disputed section that the Russian-Abkhaz negotiations on border demarcation have been going on for more than ten years.

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The pedestrian bridge was built by the Russians without approval from Abkhazia. 

The project was implemented by the deputy of the Sochi City Assembly Sergei Shevelev, who says it was the wish of his voters living in Aibga. At the end of September, he delivered construction materials, and a month later, a suspension bridge across Psou was built.

Abkhaz opposition made a joint statement on this issue, in which they demanded that the authorities immediately provide a comprehensive explanation, as well as inform the public about the measures being taken to enforce the Abkhazian law on the state border in this area.

“Don’t forget that the slowness and vague statements create “fertile ground” for the forces that impede the strengthening of fraternal relations between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

All actions in Aibga, and generally on the border, must be coordinated with the Russian-Abkhazian commission on border demarcation. However, according to the information that the opposition has, there were no preliminary agreements between Moscow and Sukhum on the construction of the bridge.

A closed session was held in the Abkhaz parliament regarding this issue on Monday, November 9.

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