Russian President Vladimer Putin met Abkhaz leader Raul Khajimba in the Kremlin on December 1 and warned him over the need of internal political stability in the breakaway region.
“We see, of course, that Abkhazia’s domestic political situation is complicated, but this is a normal thing for any society and any country. We do hope, of course, that the situation will remain under control and stay within the bounds of the law; otherwise this would complicate our plans to carry out our economic cooperation projects,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
He said that in the area of investment relations, Russia has put together a package worth more than 9 billion rubles (about USD 140 million).
“Everything must be thoroughly worked through and must be realistic, so that this money goes to real projects such as upgrading the roads, improving the situation in schools and hospitals, and building new kindergartens,” he said.
A day before Khajimba’s working visit to Moscow, Abkhaz opposition party Amtsakhara held a congress on November 30 and called on the Abkhaz leader to step down; it also called on the Abkhaz Parliament to set a date of early presidential elections until December 15; otherwise, it threatened with holding a rally. Khajimba’s supporters said that full responsibility for possible destabilization in the region will lay on the opposition, which demanded referendum to decide whether to call early presidential elections in spring, but when in June Khajimba agreed to hold the referendum, the opposition boycotted it and the referendum was declared invalid due to low voter turnout.
“Obviously, when there is upheaval going on, roads, hospitals and schools are no longer the priority,” Putin told Khajimba, whose five-year term in office expires in 2019.
He said that Russia’s relations with breakaway Abkhazia “are of a uniquely fraternal nature” and “much has been accomplished of late to make Abkhazia stronger.”
“We have an agreement, the basic agreement on friendship and mutual assistance, and a separate agreement concerning military affairs,” Putin said and emphasized the fact of completion of internal procedures on enactment of the treaty on establishing a Combined Group of Forces.
Khajimba thanked the Russian President for the second meeting with him this year that “in itself is evidence of the level of our relations.”
“Work is certainly continuing on our bilateral legal framework. I am sure that the agreement on alliance and strategic partnership, which we have both signed, will enable us to make reality the plans we have drawn up. We continue working on these matters, developing our relations in areas such as defense, border cooperation, and economy,” Khajimba said.