The visit of the puppet "president" of occupied Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania to Damascus on May 16, 2021, with which almost the entire puppet Sukhumi government went to Syria, was in many ways unprecedented. Together with Bzhania, there were: the so-called "head of the presidential administration" Alkhas Kvitsinia, "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Daur Kove, Minister of Agriculture Beslan Jopua, "Minister of Economy" Christina Ozgan and "Minister of Tourism" Teimuraz Khishba, as well as "Speaker of Parliament "Valery Kvarchia and several separatist" deputies".

He accepted the Assad regime of puppets from Sukhumi, who, as you know, cannot even take a step without the consent of the Kremlin and arrived in Damascus on the plane of the 223rd flight squadron of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation at the highest level. Bashar Assad himself met with Aslan Bzhania. Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, Bashar al-Assad said that the visit will open "new opportunities" for cooperation in tourism, economy, and agriculture. He stressed the role of the Abkhaz diaspora living in Syria in "strengthening intercultural relations."

Given the almost complete diplomatic isolation of the Assad regime and the attention he paid to the Sukhumi puppet, it seems strange. All the more ridiculous are the words about "cooperation in tourism, economy, and agriculture" with the regime in Sukhumi, where both the economy and agriculture are in complete decline, and the flow of tourists is artificially organized by the Kremlin. And then more and more Russian tourists on "vacation" in the criminalized separatist Abkhazia are frankly disappointed.

However, if we take the “big geopolitical game”, which is being played by the same Kremlin and its allies in the Middle East, then the visit of Sukhumi puppets to Assad's Syria “supported by Russian bayonets” is quite logical.

The fact is that not so much the Abkhazian, but the related and related Circassian diaspora plays a noticeable role in the Middle East countries. In particular, in Jordan, many high-ranking officials and generals have Circassian roots. The Circassians also play a certain role in Turkey. Even in Israel, there is a small Circassian diaspora distinguished by its loyalty to Israel (despite the common religion with the majority of Palestinians).

Another question is that all these diasporas were formed precisely because of the colonial policy of the Russian Empire and the genocide of the Circassians, organized during the Caucasian War in the 19th century. And also the actual betrayal of the Circassians by England and France, even though the Circassians, like many other North Caucasian highlanders, acted as allies of these powers during the Crimean War. The Ottoman Empire sheltered the Circassians and Abkhazians expelled by the Russian colonialists from their native land.

At the same time, flirting and counting on the loyalty of the Armenians, the Ottoman sultans patronizing them did not settle Circassian refugees "closer to the Caucasus" where the Armenians already lived but settled them in their Middle Eastern possessions. This is how the Circassian diasporas were formed. Unfortunately, the long-suffering Circassian and related to it in the language (and in culture more related to Georgians), the Abkhaz peoples again want to be used by the "big powers" in their not always pure geopolitical games.

The "legacy of colonialism" in the Middle East has not gone anywhere. Recall that following the division of the Arab possessions of the Ottoman Empire, Syria and Lebanon were under French occupation, and the rest of the Arab lands under British or British influence. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, since the time of the Islamic Revolution, organized by Ayatollah Khomeini, who arrived from Paris, French influence has also been great.

"By a strange coincidence" today, France, Iran, and Armenia are opposing the Zangezur corridor. We also remind that the Assad regime is supported by Russia, Iran, Armenia, and the Armenian diaspora (connected with France). And Israel is traditionally hostile to the Assad regime (whose ally is the Lebanese organization Hezbollah).

The current aggravation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict also introduces difficulties into the Middle East "kaleidoscope". A unique situation of “complex confrontation” is emerging, in which “potential agents of influence” on both sides of the front line acquire a special role. And from this point of view, the Circassians, who weigh the Arab world, and whom both Russian and Israeli special services "have views" also become "objects of struggle".

Each camp wants to drag the Circassians to its side. And in these conditions, the Russian Federation expects to use the puppet state of Abkhazia recognized by the Russian Federation as “independent” (the fact that it is much more Armenian than Abkhaz and Circassian is naturally not told to the Circassians). Therefore, such a "PR" of the allegedly "independent" Sukhumi separatists in the Middle East began, and an expensive "circus" with their "official visits" is being arranged.

However, the Circassians for the most part understand the cost of all these geopolitical games of the Kremlin. Moreover, the most informed of them understand that their land both in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation and potentially the whole of Abkhazia are being given in fact to a completely different people. Namely - to the Armenians, who have already become the majority not only in Abkhazia but also in the Circassian lands of the Ubykhs and Shapsugs in Sochi.

By the way, only Georgia officially legally recognized the genocide of the Circassians in the 19th century and advocates the return of the Circassians to their native lands. And many informed Circassians know this as well. Therefore, the policy of flirting with the "Circassian world" of the Armenian nationalist at the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov-Kalantarov and other Kremlin "players" will hardly be crowned with success.

KavkazPlus