SOCHI, January 24. /TASS/. The Black Sea port of Sochi is holding talks to open passenger transportation to Abkhazia and Georgia, the port operator’s CEO Yury Vladimirov told TASS.

"We hope that [passenger service will be established from Sochi] to Abkhazia and Georgia. Talks are currently underway. There are plans to launch [transportation] this summer," Vladimirov said as he added that Georgia would presumably admit Russian passengers at the port of Batumi.

"There is huge demand for new passenger sea routes. We will try to meet our tourists’ demand as much as possible along these routes," he added.