Russia's Cabinet of Ministers approves alliance treaty with Abkhazia

The Russian government has approved a treaty on alliance and strategic partnership with Abkhazia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Russian-Abkhaz treaty was in process since this August. On October 13, a draft document entitled "On Cooperation and Integration" drafted by the Russian party was delivered to the Abkhaz counterpart, which said that it should be corrected.

The resolution, posted on the website of the Russian Govt, says that a proposal was directed to the President of Russia to sign the treaty.

The website reports that signing the treaty will strengthen the regulatory framework of the Russian-Abkhaz cooperation.

It follows from the text of the treaty that it is concluded for 10 years with possible extension for subsequent five-year periods; it is subject to ratification and will enter into force on the date of exchange of ratification instruments.

Earlier, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) called the new draft Russian-Abkhaz treaty a threat to Georgian-Russian relations. The draft was treated as a violation of the international law by officials of the PACE, while the EU also expressed its concern, saying that new agreements are contrary to the territorial integrity of Georgia.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.