Raul Khadzhimba: fruitful Abkhaz-Russian cooperation based on the principles of alliance and strategic partnership will continue to develop for the benefit of our peoples

A bilateral working meeting between the presidents of Abkhazia and Russia took place in Pitsunda.

Sukhum. August 8. Apsnypress. President of the Republic of Abkhazia Raul Khajimba made a statement for the press following the talks with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
 
 "Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Dear friends, colleagues!
  
It is a great pleasure and honor to receive the President of the Russian Federation on Abkhazian soil. Our meetings are of a regular nature, which testifies the privileged nature of interstate relations between Abkhazia and Russia, the strong ties of alliance and strategic partnership between our states and peoples.

 The current meeting with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin was traditionally held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere and was extremely useful from the standpoint of the common interests of Abkhazia and Russia. We discussed all the most important issues on the bilateral agenda.

 Of course, first of all we discussed the issues of socio-economic development of Abkhazia. As it is known, the Russian Federation provides more financial assistance through the Investment Program and through other channels, which allows us to implement significant infrastructure projects, develop the economy, build roads and communications, and build social significance facilities. This year, the amount of financing under the Investment Program will exceed 2.5 billion rubles. The Abkhaz side prepared the qualitative design and estimate documentation, which was confirmed, and made it possible to start a concrete work on the objects stipulated by the Investment Program.
 
 Projects in the sphere of small and medium-sized businesses with the involvement of credit resources of Russian banks are being implemented. For these purposes, the Russian Investment Agency provided 1.2 billion rubles. Thanks to this program, a number of productions in Abkhazia have started to develop successfully, primarily in the field of agriculture, which allows us to hope for a serious effect from the point of view of developing Abkhazia's own economy in the short term.
   
 The Abkhaz side expressed interest in increasing the volume of credit resources in this direction given the effectiveness of this program, the growth of entrepreneurial activity in the country and the need to provide affordable loans to the business. This will accelerate the pace of social and economic development, increase the number of jobs, expand the tax base in the republic.

  Since the recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia by the Russian Federation in 2008, the trade turnover between Abkhazia and Russia has increased 3.5 times - from 7 billion rubles to 24.5 billion rubles. Import increased from 6.2 billion rubles to 19.1 billion rubles. Exports - from 0.9 billion rubles to 5.5 billion rubles.

  In general, we noted the positive dynamics of provisions implementation of the Abkhaz-Russian Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership. So, on the eve of our meeting, the Abkhaz side ratified the Agreement on the procedure for the formation and activities of the joint Information and Coordination Center for Internal Affairs of Abkhazia and Russia. We expect that the new body will be a serious and effective tool to help resolve issues in the fight against crime, improve the criminal situation in the country.

  We are continuing to work to create a unified contour of defense and security. For these purposes the United Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Abkhazia and Russia is envisaged, stipulated by a separate agreement.

 Cooperation continues through the foreign policy departments, mechanisms for coordinating foreign policy are being implemented, in particular, in the format of the Geneva discussions.

Cooperation is actively developing in the sphere of culture and education, humanitarian activity.

 I want to emphasize separately that the issues that we discussed earlier in our meetings with the President of the Russian Federation find a solution for the benefit of our citizens. In particular, the issues of creating more comfortable conditions for crossing the state border. It can be stated that the speed and effectiveness of border and customs procedures have increased, and there has been a noticeable reduction in waiting time for citizens at checkpoints.

  In this regard, we are interested in the maximum ease of conditions for the export of Abkhazian agricultural goods to the Russian Federation. We believe that for faster and more efficient customs clearance and implementation of various types of state control, including phytosanitary control, it is necessary to use existing mechanisms, in particular, provided by a number of agreements in the customs sphere. This will help the development of the agrarian branch of Abkhazia and will allow to supply to the Russian consumer a high-quality, environmentally friendly products of Abkhazian agricultural producers in greater volume.

 In conclusion, I would like to thank personally the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for his constant support of the Republic of Abkhazia, for his sensitive and attentive attitude to our problems. Our people are sincerely grateful to you for this. The Republic of Abkhazia was, is and will be a reliable ally and friend of Russia. I am confident that the fruitful Abkhaz-Russian cooperation, based on the principles of alliance and strategic partnership, will continue to develop for the benefit of our peoples".