The tiny Pacific island nation Nauru has officially recognized Georgia's breakaway republic Abkhazia as a sovereign state, the Russian news agency Interfax reported Tuesday.
The foreign minister of Nauru, the world's smallest independent country with around 11,000 inhabitants, met with Abkhazia's foreign minister in Abkhazia's capital Sukhumi on the Black Sea to sign treaties establishing diplomatic relations, dpa reported.
Aside from Russia, only Venezuela and Nicaragua recognize Abkhazia.
Nauru, a member of the United Nations, received a 50 million dollar loan from Russia for recognizing Abkhazia, according to reports in Russian media.
Russia and Georgia fought a brief conflict over the status of the breakaway republic, along with South Ossetia, in August 2008.
The Caucasus republic re-elected Sergei Bagapsh, backed by Moscow, as president on Sunday. The Georgian government termed the entire election a "provocation," and called the result "illegitimate."