Sergey Shamba has been reappointed as Abkhazia's Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Aslan Bzhania, marking his third term in this role..Shamba, who previously served twice as Foreign Minister and briefly as Prime Minister, had stepped back from public office from 2011 until 2020, when he returned as Secretary of the Security Council of Abkhazia. His return to the Foreign Ministry follows the May 2024 dismissal of Inal Ardzinba..In his reinstated position, Shamba has underscored the importance of the Geneva process in maintaining international communications and preventing conflict, countering his predecessor's proposal to shift negotiations concerning the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict to Minsk, Belarus..Additionally, Shamba has addressed misconceptions regarding military developments, clarifying that there are no plans to establish a Russian naval base in Ochamchira, near the demarcation with Georgia. Instead, only a border post with patrol boats is planned..Russia, one of the few states that recognize Abkhazia's independence, is a strategic partner for the country and retains substantial influence in its politics.
Sergey Shamba has been reappointed as Abkhazia's Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Aslan Bzhania, marking his third term in this role..Shamba, who previously served twice as Foreign Minister and briefly as Prime Minister, had stepped back from public office from 2011 until 2020, when he returned as Secretary of the Security Council of Abkhazia. His return to the Foreign Ministry follows the May 2024 dismissal of Inal Ardzinba..In his reinstated position, Shamba has underscored the importance of the Geneva process in maintaining international communications and preventing conflict, countering his predecessor's proposal to shift negotiations concerning the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict to Minsk, Belarus..Additionally, Shamba has addressed misconceptions regarding military developments, clarifying that there are no plans to establish a Russian naval base in Ochamchira, near the demarcation with Georgia. Instead, only a border post with patrol boats is planned..Russia, one of the few states that recognize Abkhazia's independence, is a strategic partner for the country and retains substantial influence in its politics.
