Abkhazian Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Chirikba will pay a visit to Russia on March 10-12 at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Chirikba is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart on March 11 to discuss efforts to further develop friendly relations between the two countries, step up full cooperation on the state level, and work together on foreign policy issues pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia on Cooperation in International Affairs of December 23, 2008.

The two ministers will also exchange views on current international issues, including cooperation within the framework of the Geneva Discussions on stability and security in the South Caucasus, in which Abkhazia is a full participant.

Having recognised Abkhazia’s independence back in 2008, Russia guarantees its existence as an independent state and a peaceful future for the Abkhazian people. Russia and Abkhazia are allies and strategic partners, and actively promote their relations.

Cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia on security matters is especially relevant as Georgia persists in its refusal to sign a binding commitment on the non-use of force. A Russian military base has been deployed in Abkhazia pursuant to bilateral agreements, and Russian border control officers are protecting Abkhazia’s border with Georgia.

Russia is providing Abkhazia assistance on a large scale by implementing the 2015-2017 Investment Programme for Facilitating Abkhazia’s Socioeconomic Development. Decisions by the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission co-chaired by Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin and Abkhazia’s Prime Minister Beslan Butba are motivated by the same objective.

Bilateral cooperation is underpinned by a solid contractual legal framework, which now consists of some 90 instruments of various kinds. At its core are the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance of September 17, 2008 and the Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership of November 24, 2014, which came into force on March 5, 2015.

Russia is committed to further developing and updating the legal framework for its relations with Abkhazia. Another 30 treaties and agreements are in the pipeline along with a number of sectorial documents in furtherance of the Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership on new areas of cooperation including defence and security, social, humanitarian and other matters.

The visit by Abkhazia’s Foreign Minister to Russia is sure to provide an additional impetus for developing and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.