MOSCOW, September 28 (RIA Novosti) - Abkhazia and Russia have signed a memorandum that will see the former Georgian republic establish its own independent telecommunication and postal services, the Abkhaz Apsnypress news agency said on Monday.

The memorandum was signed by Naum Marder, Russia's deputy communications minister, and Christian Bzhania, from Abkhazia's information and communications department. Russia is to provide Abkhazia with telephone codes for landline and mobile phones.

"Handing over a territorial code means that in the near future [Abkhazian] all types of providers will move to replace Georgian telephone codes with Abkhazian," Christian Bzhania was quoted by Apsnypress as saying.

Russia will also provide assistance in organizing a postal service, radio control system and the setting up a training center for communications specialists.

Russia recognized the independence of the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia last August after a five-day war with Georgia over the latter, which was attacked by Tbilisi in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

Under mutual assistance treaties signed last November, Russia pledged to help South Ossetia and Abkhazia protect their borders, and the signatories granted each other the right to set up military bases in their respective territories.

Russia President said earlier in September that Russia will continue to give its full support to the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20090928/156279134.html