AFP covers a story that Nezavisimaya Gazeta covered (and I translated) two months ago.
Georgia's rebel Abkhazia looks to cash in on Sochi Olympics
SUKHUMI, Georgia (AFP), Oct. 5, 2007 — Locked in a seemingly endless conflict with Georgia over its claims to independence, Abkhazia is unlikely to hoist its flag when Russia stages the 2014 Winter Olympics nearby.
But this rebel region might just emerge a winner from the Games.
"This is a major opportunity for us to develop, modernize and expand our economy," said Sergei Shamba, foreign minister of Abkhazia, which broke away from ex-Soviet Georgia in a 1990s war but is not recognised anywhere in the world.
The tiny province, which Georgia still claims, comprises dramatic mountains, forests and a lush Black Sea coastline.
Just 25 kilometres (15 miles) north across the Georgian-Russian border lies Sochi, the town where Russia is to host the Winter Olympics.
Moscow, which already provides financial backing for the anti-Georgian rebels, says some of the billions of dollars (euros) being poured into Sochi will spill over into Abkhazia.
That is seen as good news by the Abkhaz separatists, who preside over the ruins of what was once a favourite Soviet holiday spot and summer retreat for the tyrant Stalin.
Along the waterfront in the capital Sukhumi, once-exclusive hotels and restaurants are bombed-out shells, gutted and choked with weeds. On the beach sits the rusting hulk of a passenger ferry, once a floating bar, now a garbage-strewn wreck.
The Georgian government, which is angry at Russian support for the separatists, warns it will press for an international boycott if Abkhazia gets a piece of the Olympic pie.
"If Abkhazia is used for the Olympics without the consent of the Georgian central government that will be an annexation," said David Bakradze, Georgian minister for conflict resolution.
"Then I think for the International Olympic Committee and for those countries which share Olympic values it will not be proper or acceptable to participate."
The row adds a potent new layer to an already deep crisis between Russia and Georgia over the situation in the province, from which most ethnic Georgians have been expelled.
About 200,000 people currently live in Abkahzia, which has a de facto government that includes a president, parliament and defence forces.
Despite an internationally recognized economic embargo, Russian help keeps the province going.
More than 90 percent of Abkhazia's residents have been granted Russian citizenship and much of the region's economy depends on thousands of Russian tourists who visit every year.
In a July newspaper interview, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said construction materials, including gravel and cement, would be bought from Abkhazia to build Olympic facilities.
Shamba said negotiations between Moscow and Sukhumi over investments were ongoing and that no deals had been finalized.
But Abkhaz officials have said they hope to attract more than 10 percent of overall investment in the Games and that the construction of a cement factory near the Russian border will alone be worth 170 million dollars (120 million euros).
The region is also planning to build new hotels to help accommodate thousands of visitors to the Games.
"We are the closest country to the Olympic site and we have a lot to offer," Shamba said.
Bakradze said that if Russia uses money earmarked for the Olympics to consolidate its hold on Abkhazia, Moscow will be violating the spirit of the Games.
"I think we are backed up and supported by... the many principles which are the cornerstone of the Olympic Games. You cannot use the Olympics for dirty political games," he said.
Bakradze also warned that Abkhazia's unresolved status could raise security risks for the Games.
Though fighting is relatively rare, the region is highly unstable.
A gun battle broke out between Abkhaz and Georgian forces near the border earlier this month, killing two Russian military officials who had been training Abkhaz servicemen and leaving several wounded.
Georgia has described Abkhazia as a haven for organised crime and warned it could be used as a base to mount terrorist attacks during the Olympics.
"If this lawlessness in Abkhazia continues then of course there are very high risks," Bakradze said.
Shamba denied there was any danger from Abkhazia, saying separatist authorities were in full control of security and that Georgia was the main threat to peace in region.
On the streets of Sukhumi, residents were excited.
"It would be very good for Abkhazia to take part in the preparations," said Mareg, a 23-year-old student strolling along the beachfront. "And hopefully by 2014 we will have our independence and the Abkhaz flag will also fly in Sochi."
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