Russia's Military agreements with S.Ossetia and Abkhazia

Russia, Abkhazia to Sign Deal on Common Security by Year-End – Kremlin Spokesman

NOVO-OGARYOVO, August 28 (RIA Novosti) — Russia and Abkhazia will sign a new treaty on common security space by the end of the year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, commenting on the results of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with his Abkhazian counterpart.

"During the conversation, the sides discussed the need to sign by the end of the year a new treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance, aimed at boosting integration between the two sovereign states. This document will envisage establishing a common defense and security space," he said.

Abkhazia’s newly elected President Raul Hajimba also said earlier this week the new intergovernmental agreement with Russia could be signed by the year-end. He also stressed that in light of the recently signed EU-Georgia Association Agreement, Abkhazia needed to focus on fortifying its southern border and broadening cooperation with Russia, as a guarantor of the country’s independence.

Georgia’s former Abkhazian republic held a presidential election on Sunday after a major split between the government and the opposition triggered a wave of protests across the country, forcing president Alexander Ankvab to step down on June 1.

On Monday, Batal Tabagua, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Abkhazia, announced that the presidential poll had been recognized as valid with no significant violations registered. Opposition leader Hajimba, who formerly served as the country’s vice president and prime minister, secured victory garnering 50.57 per cent of the votes.

Abkhazia broke away from Georgia following an ethnically tinged war in 1992-1993, just after the Soviet Union collapsed. The state has been officially recognized by a handful of countries, including Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru. Tuvalu recognized Abkhazia’s independence in September 2011 but withdrew its recognition in March 2014. Most countries continue to consider Abkhazia part of Georgia.

Putin submits for ratification Russian-Abkhazian Agreement on Strategic Partnership

The document lays the foundation for interstate relations between Russia and Abkhazia and the basic rights and freedoms of man and citizen are its subject.

MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma for ratification the Russian-Abkhazian Agreement on Alliance and Strategic Partnership, the Kremlin official website reported on Tuesday.

The Russian-Abkhazian agreement that was signed in Sochi on November 24, 2014 is the base document that fixes the sides’ intention to establish on a phased basis closer cooperation in the social, economic and humanitarian areas, as well as in the defense and security spheres. It is called upon to create the basis for concluding separate agreements in the aforementioned spheres.

The document lays the foundation for interstate relations between Russia and Abkhazia and the basic rights and freedoms of man and citizen are its subject.

Meanwhile, the agreement contains rules that differ from that stipulated by Russian legislation. In particular, Article 13 specifies Russia’s additional measures to simplify the procedure for getting Russian citizenship by Abkhazian citizens.

“The agreement fully meets Russia’s interests, its ratification will establish solid economic, political and social relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia,” says the Kremlin website.

The Abkhazian parliament ratified the document on December 22.

Russian State Duma to ratify treaty on with Abkhazia

“The treaty brings the relations between Abkhazia and Russia to a qualitatively new level,” Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin said

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma lower parliament house on Friday will consider the issue of the ratification of the Russian-Abkhazian Treaty on Allied Relations and Strategic Partnership. The document was submitted by President Vladimir Putin.

“The treaty brings the relations between Abkhazia and Russia to a qualitatively new level,” Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin said. “The key provision of the treaty is the formation of a common space of defence and security.” Apart from that, according to Naryshkin, the treaty “creates conditions for Abkhazia’s more active involvement into economic integration cooperation with Russia.”

The treaty was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba in Russia’s southern Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 24. It stipulates the formation of a common space of defence and security, including by means of establishing a united group of Russian and Abkhazian armed forces.

The document also says that should one of the sides come under aggression /armed attack/ from any state or a group of states, “this will be considered as aggression /armed attack/ also against the other State party.” In this case, the sides will grant each other “the necessary assistance, including military, and render support by available means to exercise the right to collective defense in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”

The treaty also envisions that the Russian Federation “will in all possible ways contribute to strengthening the international ties of the Republic of Abkhazia, including expansion of the range of states that officially recognized it, and creation of conditions for the admission of the Republic of Abkhazia to international organizations and associations, including those established on the initiative and/or with assistance from the Russian Federation.”

The ratification of the treaty will be a milestone event for the Russian-Abkhazian relations, said Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the State Duma committee for the affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States /CIS/, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots. “The treaty will serve as a basis for the closest interstate integration and bilateral cooperation,” he said.

Russia and Abkhazia, according to Slutsky, already have more than 80 interstate agreements embracing practically all spheres. “The treaty continues the policy towards closer cooperation in the socio-economic sphere, in defence sector and in foreign policy,” he added.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and State Secretary Grigory Karasin said that the treaty was to expand cooperation between the two countries in all spheres. “The treaty reflects new realities that emerged in the region in the past six years and expands cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia in all spheres,” he said.

Russian parliament’s upper house ratifies strategic partnership agreement with Abkhazia

President Putin signs law ratifying Russian-Abkhaz strategic partnership agreement

The Russian president and his Abkhazian counterpart signed the treaty in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 24, 2014


MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Wednesday a law ratifying a treaty on allied relations and strategic partnership between Russia and Abkhazia.

Putin and Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba signed the treaty in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 24, 2014.

The treaty was ratified by the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, on January 23 and by the Federation Council on January 28.

The agreement envisages the creation of a joint "defense and security space," including the establishment of a unified group of troops of the Russian and Abkhazian Armed Forces.

Proposal to sign alliance treaty with South Ossetia to be submitted to Russian president