Russians are buying real estate in Abkhazia.

real estatein the region. At a meeting held in Tskhinvali on November 8, Bzhania emphasized that the right to search for thereal estate“economic aspect” and ”should not be about political rights to acquire real estate and residency.” “We need people here, we need specialists who work, who go out to work, people for whom our entrepreneurs work, creating the products they need,” he said.

Foreigners are forbidden to buy real estate in the occupied region. This topic has long been a serious problem for the South Ossetian side. Part of the Abkhazians are worried and fear that lifting of restrictions on purchase of real estate for foreigners, in particular Russian citizens, may lead to deterioration of the situation in the region.

The topic of reunification with Russia is seen as a solution to the conflict of “dual citizenship”. Abkhazia notes that if Russian citizens do receive Abkhazian “passports”, they will be able to acquire real estate and basic rights of residence in the region. In addition, the lifting of restrictions would provide ethnic Georgians who were forced to leave the region during the conflict in the 1990s and who now hold Russian passports with the opportunity to return and settle in the region.