SUKHUM, April 23. /TASS/. Abkhazia’s air force needs to be modernized and the country expects help from Russia on this issue, Abkhaz President Aslan Bzhania said in an interview with TASS.

"Abkhazia has air forces but they need to be modernized. We need new planes and perfectly trained Abkhaz pilots to fly them and we have more than 20 of them. We are expecting support from Russia, this support is likely to be provided soon," he noted. The leader informed that representatives of the Russian General Staff recently travelled to the country and talks were held with the Abkhaz Defense Ministry, "there is progress on several positions."

Speaking about the military cooperation with Russia in general, the president underlined that a joint body of troops had been created, joint drills are held on various levels to train specific skills. At the same time, Bzhania stressed that there are problems related to modernizing the national armed forces. "It is without a doubt that all obligations will be fulfilled in case of aggression against any side," he said.

Abkhazia and Russia signed an agreement on cooperation in the military sphere in 2011, the agreement on the joint body of troops in 2016 and the agreement to finance modernization of the armed forces of the country in 2019.