Mar 14, 2005

Abkhazia: President Bagapsh in Moscow for Economic Cooperation Talks


Bagapsh has told in an interview he plans to hold negotiations with Russias Security Council, Moscows Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, Russian businessmen, and the Abkhazian community in Moscow
The president of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, has arrived in Moscow for talks.

Bagapsh has told Tass in an interview he plans to hold negotiations with Russia’s Security Council, Moscow’s Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, Russian businessmen, and the Abkhazian community in Moscow.

“In the first place we shall be focusing on economic cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia,” Bagapsh said.

Taking part in the negotiations at the Russian Security Council will be Abkhazia’s Vice-President Raul Khadzhimba, whose competences encompass supervision of the activity of the law enforcement agencies and Abkhazia’s foreign policy.

Sources at the Russian Security Council have said Bagapsh has agreed on a meeting with Deputy Security Council Secretary Yuri Zubakov, who deals with the Abkhazian problem.

Sergei Bagapsh was elected Abkhazia’s president after the conclusion of the Russia-mediated December 6, 2004 agreement on measures for achieving national accord in the republic of Abkhazia with his chief political opponent Raul Khadzhimba.

That agreement was crucial to overcoming the political crisis that erupted in Abkhazia after the first round of the presidential election on October 3, 2004. Bagapsh then collected more than 50 percent of the votes and was declared president. Khadzhimba disagreed with this. The standoff between the two politicians put Abkhazia on the brink of an armed conflict between their supporters.

After signing the agreement Bagapsh and Khadzhimba agreed to participate in another presidential election as one team. Khadzhimba agreed to take the post of vice-president giving him very wide powers stated in a special law.

Bagapsh and Khadzhimba were elected on January 12, 2005, having received 91.54 percent of the votes.

 

Source: ITAR-TASS