Abkhazia's new Foreign Minister ousted over trip to the United States

Abkhazia’s new FM Tuzhba ousted over a US trip

Abkhazia’s newly appointed Foreign Minister, Irakli Tuzhba, has lost his position even before officially assuming office. According to insider sources, his private visit to the United States was deemed unacceptable.

On April 20, following the unclear dismissal of former Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba by the President, Tuzhba, who was Ardzinba’s deputy, was appointed as acting minister. By May 20, his official appointment was announced.

However, Tuzhba was vacationing in the United States with his wife at the time—a “hostile country,” according to critics.

Several anonymous Telegram channels that had previously supported Ardzinba now accused Tuzhba of espionage and betraying the nation. They speculated that Tuzhba’s wife, Yulia, who works for UNICEF, was actually in the U.S. on a grant, not on vacation.

Critics demanded that upon his return to Abkhazia, Tuzhba and his wife undergo a lie detector test. Although this did not happen, the President’s trust in Tuzhba seems to have been shaken.

Irakli Tuzhba has been reinstated to his previous position as Deputy Foreign Minister and is expected to continue leading Abkhazia’s delegation at the Geneva discussions.

Meanwhile, the ministerial post remains vacant. Another Deputy Minister, Odysseus Bigvava, has been appointed as the new acting minister.

Abkhazia’s new FM Tuzhba ousted over a US trip

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