Naoero severs diplomatic ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia; recognizing states shrink to four
The Pacific island nation of Naoero (formerly Nauru) has cut diplomatic relations with the partially recognized states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, reducing the number of UN member states recognizing their independence to four.
The Pacific island nation of Naoero, known as Nauru until 2026, has severed diplomatic relations with the partially recognized states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia's Foreign Ministry reported that Naoero's cabinet made the decision on July 21. The ministry stated that this decision reaffirms respect for and compliance with international law, adding that Georgia is now ready to establish diplomatic relations with Naoero.
In response, Abkhazia's Foreign Ministry said that Naoero cut the ties it had established with Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2009, under unprecedented and systematic external pressure.
Following Naoero's move, only four UN member states still recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia's independence: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria. The vast majority of countries consider Abkhazia and South Ossetia part of Georgia.
Naoero, the world's smallest island nation, has an area of about 21 square kilometers (8 square miles) and a population of about 10,000. The country changed its name from Nauru to Naoero in 2026, a move the government described as an effort to shed its colonial legacy. The United Nations recognized the new name in June 2026.
