TBILISI, November 24. /TASS/. Russia’s strategic partnership and allied relations treaty with Abkhazia will be an obstacle on the path of the normalization of relations between Georgia and Russia, Georgia’s President Georgy Margvelashvili said on Monday.

He said the treaty that was signed “in violation of international law” is a “step to annexation of the Abkhazian region by Russia.” “The signing of this illegal treaty creates new challenges and threats to Georgia and our partners, it puts obstacles in the process of the normalization of the Georgian-Russian relations,” Margvelashvili said and called on the international community “to give an adequate political estimation of this illegal treaty.”

The Treaty on Allied Relations and Strategic Partnership between Russia and Abkhazia signed by the two countries’ leaders on Monday in Sochi provides for the creation of a common defense and security space. Under the treaty, the two countries are to set up a joint group of troops within one year after the treaty’s coming into force.

“In the event one of the parties is subject to aggression from any state or a group of states it will be considered as aggression against the other party to the treaty,” the document says. In this case, the parties will offer “necessary assistance, including military,” and other support as the implementation of the right to collective defence in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.