1989 – Demands for more autonomy in South Ossetia lead to violent clashes between Georgians and Ossetians. Soviet – later Russian – peacekeepers are deployed.
1990-92 – After several outbreaks of violence, South Ossetia declares its intention to secede from Georgia and proclaims independence in 1992. Sporadic violence involving Georgian irregular forces and Ossetian fighters continues until agreement on the deployment of Georgian, Ossetian and Russian peacekeepers is reached.
1991 – Georgian parliament declares secession from the Soviet Union after independence is overwhelmingly supported in a referendum.
1992-93 – Georgia-Abkhazia War: Georgia sends troops to Abkhazia to halt moves for secession. Fierce fighting ends with Georgian forces being expelled from Abkhazia. Up to 30,000 people are killed. Before the war Georgians make up nearly half of Abkhazia’s population, but up to 250,000 Georgians and others are expelled, virtually halving Abkhazia’s population.
1994 – Georgian government and Abkhaz separatists sign a ceasefire agreement, paving the way for the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force in the region.
2001– Clashes in Abkhazia between Abkhaz troops and Georgian paramilitaries backed by fighters from the North Caucasus. The tension is heightened as Russia accuses Georgia of harbouring Chechen rebels, a charge dismissed by Georgia.
2004 – Several deaths are reported in clashes between Georgian and South Ossetian forces.
2006 – South Ossetians vote in favour of independence in an unrecognised referendum.
2008 – Tensions between Georgia and Russia escalate into a full-blown military conflict after Georgia tries to retake South Ossetia by force following lower-level clashes with Russian-backed rebels.
Russian forces counter-attack and push Georgian troops out of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After five days of fighting, the two sides sign a French-brokered peace agreement. Russia recognises both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states – very few other countries do.
Russia says it will keep a military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
2014 – European Union and Georgia sign association agreement – a far-reaching trade partnership deal.
2015 – Russian forces in South Ossetia move internal border 1.5km further inside Georgia proper, threatening main road linking west and east of country.
2017 – Breakaway region of South Ossetia holds presidential election and a referendum on changing its name to the State of Alania as part of a plan to join the Russian Federation.
2022 – Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Georgia becomes a temporary home for many Russian exiles.
2023 – Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili draws domestic and international criticism for saying that Nato enlargement was one of the main reasons for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Georgia gains its long-standing goal of European Union candidate status.
2024 – Georgia introduces a contentious “transparency on foreign influence” bill – often dubbed the “foreign agents law” – sparking weeks of protests in Tbilisi.
Source link : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17301647
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Publish date : 2024-06-04 07:00:00
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