The North Caucasus Factor in the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict Context

From the series "Dialogue through Research", International Alert presents the latest analysis from its Georgian-Abkhaz dialogue process on the North Caucasus factor in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict context. Since the 2008 war, the Georgian Government has stepped up efforts to establish links with the peoples of the North Caucasus, to draw them into mutually beneficial partner relations. The case for promoting regional stability in the context of unresolved conflicts with Abkhazia and South Ossetia and ongoing instability in the North Caucasus is strong. However, to understand the complexity of the issues, it is necessary to examine the North Caucasus factor from a number of perspectives. This collection of articles examines political and social trends in the North Caucasus, as well as historical and contemporary relations, including the North Caucasus factor in the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhaz and August 2008 Russian-Georgian wars.