SUKHUMI, Georgia — The Russian-backed region of Abkhazia appealed to the world community today to recognize it as independent from Georgia, citing Kosovo as a precedent.

In a unanimous resolution, Abkhazia’s legislature called on the world community and the Russian Parliament to recognize it as an independent nation.

“The republic of Abkhazia has for 15 years successfully existed as an independent nation,” the resolution said, citing Kosovo’s independence as justification for the timing.

The appeal follows a nearly identical resolution earlier this week by another breakaway Georgian region, South Ossetia.

Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have had de-facto independence since wars with Georgian forces in the 1990s. No country recognizes their governments, though Russia has tacitly supported their autonomy from Georgia, which has infuriated Moscow by increasingly aligning itself with the West.

Georgia’s state minister for reintegration matters, Temur Yakobashvili, said the Abkhazia resolution should not be taken seriously because many ethnic Georgians fled Abkhazia during the fighting and have long sought to return.

“This parliament is not legitimate; it was not elected by the population of Abkhazia,” he said. “It cannot reflect the will of the entire population.”

Russia further raised tensions with Georgia yesterday by fully restoring economic ties with Abkhazia. Russian officials said the decision had nothing to do with Kosovo, although Moscow was infuriated by Western recognition of Kosovo’s independence and warned that it could fuel other separatist movements, particularly in the former Soviet Union.

Nations that recognize Kosovo’s independence from Serbia say that situation was unique.

Georgia summoned Russia’s ambassador today to protest the decision to lift trade restrictions on Abkhazia.

“This move cannot be seen as anything but a bald-faced attempt to infringe on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia (and) as an encouragement to separatism,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

In comments likely to further exacerbate the tensions between Russia and Georgia, Russia’s regional development minister, Dmitry Kozak, said Russian businesses and investors building for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi can look to Abkhazia for workers and materials.

Abkhazia sits just a few miles from Sochi.