SUKHUM, November 14. /TASS/. A new treaty between Abkhazia and Russia will be signed, since it is vital for Abkhazia and it needs this treaty, Abkhazia’s President Raul Khadzhimba said on Thursday.
He said it was a right thing to make public the draft treaty on allied relations and integration that was prepared by the Russian side. “We are open and we want our people to know everything about our actions, except those that are classified a state secret,” he said. “Public discussions around this document have demonstrated people’s attitude towards sovereignty and independence of Abkhazia, for the sake of which thousands of our men have given up their lives. And, undoubtedly, we must take into account the demand of our society.”
The Abkhazian president stressed that the draft treaty in no way infringed upon Abkhazia’s sovereignty. “We are free to take decisions in our own interests. But it should be born in mind that the world is rather complicated and contradictory, so relations with Russia are very important for us,” Khadzhimba said. “Russia creates conditions for our security not only in the military sense but in building relations with other states.”
The Abkhazian leader described relations with Russia as “rather active.” “Russia’s aid was considerable - about 30 billion roubles /641.7 million U.S. dollars/, and if Russia goes on to help Abkhazia, and I have no doubts about that, we must use it efficiently,” he said.
Khadzhimba noted that tourism was one of the key areas for the republic’s development as a driving force for promoting development of the agrarian sector, infrastructure, the energy sector, etc.