On January 31, Georgia’s four main opposition parties jointly appealed to Syrian authorities, urging Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s new leader, to revoke Syria’s recognition of Russian-occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as independent states.

In their letter, the opposition forces expressed support for what they described as the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship and Syria’s transition to new governance.

"As the people of Georgia peacefully fight against an illegitimate, Kremlin-backed dictatorial regime, we, the four major democratic parties of Georgia, representing the will of our citizens and their aspirations for a free and democratic state, respectfully request your engagement in revoking Syria’s recognition of Russian-occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as independent states," the letter stated.

The appeal was signed by the UNM-United National Movement, Strong Georgia, Gakharia – For Georgia, and the Coalition for Change. The opposition parties emphasized that Georgia’s occupied regions had only been recognized by a "handful of Russian-backed authoritarian regimes," including Venezuela and Nicaragua, with Syria following suit in 2018 under Assad’s rule. They urged the new Syrian leadership to reassess foreign policy decisions made by the previous administration.

The letter also underscored the millennia-long historical ties between Georgia and Syria, highlighting their history of mutual cooperation and friendship. The opposition parties argued that reversing Syria’s 2018 recognition of the occupied regions would be a significant step toward strengthening bilateral relations and fostering "truly brotherly and fruitful" ties between the two nations.
Kan Tania, the de facto Counselor of the Embassy of the separatist Republic of Abkhazia in Russia, responded to the Georgian opposition’s appeal, asserting that the concept of "withdrawal of recognition" does not exist in international law.

"A state that has recognized another country’s independence can only decide to sever diplomatic relations, but this is not equivalent to legally revoking the recognition itself. Moreover, diplomatic relations can always be restored, making such statements by Georgian politicians purely populist and legally untenable," Tania stated.

He emphasized that relations between Abkhazia and Syria were developing within a long-term partnership based on mutual respect and historical ties.

"Breaking diplomatic ties with Abkhazia would bring Syria no political or economic benefits. On the contrary, it could further complicate an already tense geopolitical situation," he added.

Tania also argued that the Georgian opposition’s initiative was driven by internal political considerations.

"The weakening of their position and loss of public confidence forces them to seek external issues that could rally public support. However, attempts to use international relations as a tool for domestic political struggles rarely yield constructive results. These statements are nothing more than political rhetoric with no real prospects," he said.