RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin meets the president of breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab and congratulates him on Abkhazia's independence

Record ID: 860076

  • Title: RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin meets the president of breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab and congratulates him on Abkhazia's independence
  • Date: 12th March 2013
  • Summary: NEAR MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MARCH 12, 2013) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WALKING INTO ROOM AND SHAKING HANDS WITH BREAKAWAY GEORGIAN REPUBLIC OF ABKHAZIA DELEGATION AND ITS PRESIDENT ALEXANDER ANKVAB PHOTOGRAPHERS DELEGATIONS SITTING DOWN CAMERAMAN PUTIN TALKING MEETING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRESIDENT OF BREAKAWAY GEORGIAN REPUBLIC OF ABKHAZIA ALEXANDER ANKVAB, SAYING: "I absolutely agree with you that we have a very important date in August. It's the fifth anniversary of our independence, of the day we were recognised by Russia. We're preparing for it, and we're going to approach the day with an event better result in our post-war development." CAMERAMAN MEETING IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3856TOYL5V8NTJARM4SL6UYFP
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the president of the breakaway Georgian republic Abkhazia at his residence outside of Moscow on Tuesday (March 12), and congratulated its President Alexander Ankvab on the republic's fifth anniversary of declaring independence.
    Abkhazia threw off Georgian rule in wars in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Moscow recognised its statehood after a brief war in August 2008, when Russian forces thwarted Tbilisi's military attack on South Ossetia and pushed deep into Georgia.
    Ankvab agreed thanked Putin for his support and said he was looking forward to the future.

    "I absolutely agree with you that we have a very important date in August. It's the fifth anniversary of our independence of the day we were recognised by Russia. We're preparing for it, and we're going to approach the day with an event better result in our post-war development," Ankvab said.
    Only Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru have recognized Abkhazia's nation status.
    Russia has installed a military base in Abkhazia, and provided financial aid and employed peacekeepers to the region, which it claimed were preventing further bloodshed.
    Georgia, an aspiring NATO member, has accused Moscow of trying to annex Abkhazia.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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