Abkhazia plans to coordinate its foreign policy with Russia

Friday, December 9, 2022

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Abkhazia plans to coordinate its foreign policy with Russia, announced president-elect of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh during a joint press conference with vice-president Raul Khadzhimba in Moscow. "The future of Abkhazia in becoming an independent state. We will build partnership relations with Russia and will orient ourselves on Russia and strengthening economic relations with it," Mr. Bagapsh underlined. "We will participate in the meeting of the Russian Security Council today. We plan to discuss existing economic issues and problems at the meeting," Mr. Bagapsh continued. He said the discussion of economic issues at the meeting would be held with participation of "representatives of other structures that deal with economic issues in Russia." The participants also plan to discuss the reopening of the railway transit through Abkhazia to Armenia and the issues related to energy industry. Talking about the necessity of coordinating the Russian and Abkhazian legislation, Mr. Bagapsh explained, "We have to do it in order to avoid controversy in our economic relations, in order to protect investments." "Nobody is trying to change the Russian legislation," Mr. Bagapsh added. Answering the question about the future relations with the Georgian leadership, Mr. Bagapsh stated that the Abkhazian position on the Georgian-Abkhazian settlement remains unchanged. Mr. Bagapsh stated that the forcible solution of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict was unacceptable and all issues must be settled through negotiations. One of the journalists asked Mr. Bagapsh whether Abkhazia was going to choose the alliance with Russia or it would prefer the alliance with Georgia. "If we are forced to make a choice, and the issue does not include only Georgia, but also some Western countries, we will make it immediately," Sergei Bagapsh stressed. Speaking about the possibility of his personal meeting with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Mr. Bagapsh stated that such a meeting would have to be thoroughly prepared. "If the sides have too many antagonisms, such a meeting will be unreasonable. Meeting without a purpose does not make any sense," Mr. Bagapsh said. He mentioned that there were Georgian-Abkhazian working groups and committees that must tackle the entire range of bilateral issues.

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