Vladislav Surkov: Russia has increased its financial assistance to Abkhazia by 5 billion rubles

In 2015, Russia was going to provide Abkhazia with 4 billion rubles, but after the signing of a new agreement, the financial assistance was increased by 5 billion rubles, aide of the Russian president Vladislav Surkov said on Monday.

“Today, we are forced to cut our budget expenses, but following Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin’s request, the Russian president decided not to reduce our financial assistance to Abkhazia and to provide the local government with 9.5 billion rubles. All of the funds we were planning to provide for social-economic programs in Abkhazia will be provided. The main thing is to use this money effectively,” Surkov said after a meeting with the Abkhazian president.

He said that there must be no more border between Russia and Abkhazia. “This is stipulated by our new agreement,” Surkov said.

Two conferences took place in Sukhum on Monday. One of them summed up the results of the last year’s construction program, while the other considered the activities stipulated by the new Russian-Abkhazian strategic partnership agreement.

As EAD reported earlier, on Feb 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified a Russian-Abkhazian strategic partnership agreement. The agreement stipulates that Russia and Abkhazia should create a common defense and security area by forming joint armed forces. “An aggression by a third state or a group of states against one of the parties should be regarded as an aggression against the other,” the agreement says. It also stipulates join protection of the Georgian-Abkhazian border and Abkhazia’s maritime space.

“Russia will help Abkhazia to strengthen its international ties, to gain wider recognition in the world and to join international organizations and unions, including those established on the initiative or with the support of Russia. Russia will also take additional measures to ease Russian naturalization for Abkhazian citizens,” the agreement says.