Putin Meets Bagapsh in Sochi

Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, met with Abkhaz leader, Sergey Bagapsh, in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, close to Abkhazia.

After the meeting Bagapsh said that the agreement on deployment of Russian military bases in Abkhazia would apparently be signed in two weeks, while starting from June about 850 Russian border guards would start service to protecting the Abkhaz border with Georgia, as envisaged by the agreement between Russia and the breakaway region.

Now that the relevant documents have been signed and Russia has recognised Abkhazia’s independence, we have more opportunities to organise cooperation in all areas, including on the social and economic development of Abkhazia,” Putin told Bagapsh in remarks for the press shortly before the meeting.

Bagapsh told the Russian Prime Minister that spending of Moscow’s assistance “believe me” would be purposeful.

Itar-Tass news agency reported quoted Bagapsh saying after the meeting that Russia planed to allocate 1 or 1.5 billion rubles loan for Abkhazia for the development of the region’s banking system and railway.
 
Meanwhile, Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported that Bagapsh invited the Russian Prime Minister and that the latter might visit Abkhazia “in the near future.”

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