Emir Kusturica Becomes Goodwill Ambassador of Occupied Abkhazia

Emir Kusturica, the Serbian filmmaker, has been appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of Georgia's Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, in Moscow.

Kusturica hopes to help the cause of calling the world’s attention to the need to stop the cultural vandalism in the breakaway Abkhazia. 

"I, as the UN ambassador, support the call of the Goodwill Ambassadors of Abkhazia. Ancient Christian temples in Abkhazia should be maintained and future generations should see them," he said.

Kusturica added, “Abkhazia is the oldest center of the Christian world and the international community should not ignore the destruction of monuments of the world Christian culture there."

Russian-backed Abkhazia and Georgia's another breakaway region of South Ossetia fell under Russian occupation after August 2008 Georgia-Russian war.

By Máté Földi