De Facto Abkhazian President Arrives in Syria

The de facto President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, Raul Khajimba, arrived in Syria and met with Bashar al-Assad and the other officials.

Syria recognized Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries on May 29. The step of Damascus was denounced by the wider international community, except Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru. However, despite this, Bashal al-Assad invited leaders of both breakaway regions to discuss mutual cooperation prospects.

According to the de facto Abkhazian media outlet Apsnypress, Khajimba and Assad signed “the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Syrian Arab Republic, an intergovernmental Agreement on the establishment of a joint Syrian-Abkhaz committee on economic, trade, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation, as well as an intergovernmental agreement in the field of promoting trade and economic cooperation.”

The article also reads that Assad congratulated Khajimba on the “10th anniversary of independence” from Georgia and noted that the signed “agreements” serve as a step forward in advancing the mutual ties.

Khajimba thanked the Syrian President for the invitation to visit the country. He said the visit to Syria is of historical significance for Abkhazia.

In late July, Assad also hosted Anatoly Bibilov, leader of breakaway South Ossetia.

Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia fell under the Russian occupation after the August 2008 war. 

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: Apsnypress

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