The breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia began to use Russia’s international direct dialling phone code, +7, Sunday 15 November, instead of Georgia’s, +995, in a further break with Georgia. Russia and Georgia fought a war in July over South Ossetia, another breakaway region in Georgia.

“The old codes will work until Jan 1. Then they will be turned off and people will use the new codes of independent Abkhazia,” said Nadir Bitiev, a senior aide to Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh, reports Reuters. Two-thirds of the International Telecommunications Union‘s (ITU) members must agree to admitting a new member. Only the Russian Federation recognizes Abkhazia as an independent country, along with Venezuela and Nicaragua. Moscow Times