About Russian prime minister’s visit to Abkhazia
16.8.2009
Russia would allocate 10,9 billion rubles for social and economic development of Abkhazia in 2010. The prime minister of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin had stated that during the intergovernmental negotiations in Sukhum.
The decision was fixed by the corresponding agreement. The official document was signed by the minister of the regional development of Russian Federation Victor Basargin and the minister of economics of Abkhazia Christina Ozgan at presence of the president of Republic of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh and the chairman of the government of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
"It is the question of objects of the infrastructure, communications, transports, public health services and education", - the prime minister explained. "The further interaction of Russia and Abkhazia, - Putin added, - provides work in such directions, as security, arrangement of the state borders, creation of conditions on public security as in the line of the armed forces, and the social sphere".
Victor Basargin noted that "it is a question of only Russian federal money". "These means are not incorporated yet in the federal budget, but decisions on inclusion of this money in the federal budget will be made "- he added.
"I would like to confirm that all the plans which we have planned during our last meeting in Sochi, despite of the economic crisis, will not undergo any essential updating", - Vladimir Putin emphasized at the meeting with Sergey Bagapsh.
The prime-minister named the main task of cooperation of Moscow and Sukhum creation of the base for the further development of the republic. "Russia renders the citizens of Russian Federation living in Abkhazia, the constant help, pays pensions, but we perfectly understand that rendering such assistance is only an operative reaction to the heritage of the last years. The main thing consists of creating of the own base of economy development of Abkhazia", - the chairman of the government of Russian Federation said.
"We attitude to Abkhazia as a small country and a fraternal people which has got into a trouble and requires our support but which is capable to rise", - Putin assured. "We are interested that on our southern direction we would feel our friend’s elbow. We are ready and we shall work in this direction", - he added.
The president of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh named Putin's visit with the Russian delegation to Abkhazia "very important for Abkhazian people". He expressed his gratitude to Putin for "great efforts" in relation of Abkhazia’s coming out from the international economic isolation.
Bagapsh thanked Russia for recognition of the republic’s independence. "This is extremely difficult in every respect, but the really true decision of the president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev", - Bagapsh said.
The president of Abkhazia noted that projects of the contracts about cooperation with Russian party on a lot of mutually advantageous directions being prepared now.
Corresponding aspects were discussed during the negotiations in the expanded format. From the Russian party in the negotiations there were: the head of the Ministry of Defence of Russian Federation Anatoly Serdyukov, the head of the Ministry of regional development Victor Basargin, minister of transport Igor Levitin, the president of "Rosneft" Sergey Bogdanchikov, the vice-president of the Russian rail ways Vladimir Vorobev.
"It is not a casual set of colleagues, - Putin explained. Practically in all the directions they represent, teamwork is conducted or large, greater joint activity is planned".
After the ending of the consultations Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the leaders of the opposition of the republic. "Russia is not going to interfere into the internal political processes and affairs of Abkhazia", - he assured the participants of the conversation.
"I know that the republic prepares for the big political event - the presidential elections", - the prime-minister said. "You know that supporting people of Abkhazia in aspiration to get the sovereignty, Russia at the same time never allowed to interfere into the internal political affairs", - he addressed to the oppositionists.
Putin noted that the decision to hold a meeting with the opposition was made together with Sergey Bagapsh. "In my opinion, such meeting was needed, as recently relations of Russia and Abkhazia have seriously changed".
At the press conference on the results of the official visit to the republic Vladimir Putin especially emphasized that Russia, having recognized the independence and the sovereignty of Abkhazia, made "the true decision, and there is no return to the situation of the former years and will not be". "Russia renders and will render the system economic, political and, if it is required, - military support to Abkhazia", - he added.
"Abkhazia, and Russia supports the republic in this, is not against presence here the international observers of the different organizations - both the United Nations, and the OSCE, - Putin told. - There are places in Abkhazia for them". "But they should start with realities, - the Russian prime-minister continued, - and to sign corresponding agreements with Abkhazia, having recognized its sovereignty and the international rights".
From his part Sergey Bagapsh emphasized: "I agree with this opinion. We are not against that here there would be the United Nations mission, but for this purpose they should recognize our independence, our sovereignty, instead of building the relations on the status-quo". "We can discuss this theme, but only after recognition of our sovereignty", - the president of the republic added.
Vladimir Putin had begun his visit to Abkhazia with putting on of the wreath to the monument of the soldiers fallen during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict of 1992-93. The prime minister of Russian Federation and Sergey Bagapsh spoke to the widows and the mothers of the lost defenders of the republic.
The chairman of the Russian government also visited a new Sukhum maternity hospital opened only two days ago. The chief doctor of the maternity hospital Valentina Lejba noted: "For us within a year in the republic the calmness appeared; people stopped to be nervous, and the birth rates started to grow - for the first half of this year there were born already so much toddlers that it is possible to tell with confidence: in Abkhazia there will be a population explosion".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia "made the protest in connection with arrival of the prime minister of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to Sukhumi".
In the widespread statement of the Georgian foreign policy department it was remarked: "By the anniversary of signing 6-itemed agreement on cease-fire between Georgia and Russian Federation the prime minister of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, having broken the state border of Georgia, arrived to the Abkhazian region occupied by Russia that planned action is in advance".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia considers that "Putin's visit to Sukhumi testifies that Russia does not observe the conventional norms and principles of the international law" and does not carry out of the international obligations it had undertaken".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia addresses "to the international community to call Russian Federation to respect with the conventional norms and principles of the international law and to implement the agreement from the August, 12th, 2008, providing moving out of the Russian armies from Abkhazian and Tskhinvalsky regions".
On the Internet mass-media materials.
http://www.natpress.net/stat_e.php?id=4136
