Putin meets with President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania

Bzhania meeting with Putin

Vladimir Putin has met with President of Abkhazia Bzhania.

The Abkhazian leader announced the republic’s intention to participate in integration processes initiated by Russia.

However, there are no specifics about the parameters of this “integration” in a video published by the Kremlin press service. Nor has there been any reaction from President Putin to Bzhania’s words.

The meeting between Putin and Bzhania took place in Sochi late on October 4. Prior to that, the President of Abkhazia held talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Ahead of the talks, Russian media predicted that after the meeting the beginning of the procedure of Abkhazia’s accession to the Union State of Russia and the Republic of Belarus might be announced.

But the bilateral format of the meeting initially made such predictions groundless. To start the procedure of Abkhazia’s accession to the Union State, Lukashenko’s agreement is needed, but the Republic of Belarus is in no hurry to recognize the independence of Abkhazia.

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So at this meeting Putin did not say anything about the Union State; he emphasized the growing trade turnover (by 73%) between the two countries.

Aslan Bzhania, in turn, noted that relations between Abkhazia and Russia have recently been given additional impetus, there is a process of harmonization, which brings closer the positions of the states within the framework of creating a common socio-economic and defense space.

“We want and will follow those agreements that are spelled out in our fundamental documents. We want to participate in integration processes that are initiated by the Russian side, because it corresponds to the fundamental interests of Abkhazia. It is very important for us.”

Social networks found a special subtext in the “fresh” nature of the meeting of the Russian president with the head of Abkhazia. Against the background of the tragic fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, it was important for Moscow and Sukhum to demonstrate that everything is smooth in Russian-Abkhazian relations as before.

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