The de facto leader of Occupied Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, on December 27 signed into de facto law a "deal with Moscow" under which the Bichvinta complex of holiday homes will be transferred to Russia.

"Any attempt to transfer land in the illegally occupied Georgian territory of Abkhazia to Russia is unacceptable," a NATO official told the Accent.

• "We fully support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. NATO continues to stand in solidarity with our close partner Georgia," a NATO official added.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned the de facto deal, calling it "another illegal act and the continuation of Russia's policy of occupation of the indivisible regions of Georgia, which grossly violates the fundamental principles of international law."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia appeals to the international community to properly assess this new illegal step by the Russian Federation aimed at encroaching on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia," the ministry said in a statement.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called on the international community “for a strong and urgent reaction.”

According to the de facto Russian-Abkhaz deal signed in January 2022, the complex will be handed to Russia free of charge, with a symbolic annual payment of 1 ruble for each land parcel.

Russia's de facto envoy to the occupied region, Mikhail Shurgalin has said that, according to "the deal, the land on which the resort is located will not be owned by Russia."

"The territory will be rented [by Russia] for 49 years. Only buildings will be owned [by Russia] and their maintenance and repair work will be conducted by [Russia's] Federal Guard Service," Shurgalin said earlier.