Opening remarks by Oleg Bartsits, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, at a meeting with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation:

Dear Sergey Viktorovich, dear colleagues, good afternoon. First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of myself and the delegation members of the Abkhazian Foreign Ministry for the opportunity to be here, for the warm welcome, and the comfortable conditions.

We are pleased to have another meeting in such a short period of time. This second meeting is a very positive sign for us. Indeed, as you quite rightly noted, cooperation between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation is intensifying across a wide range of areas. Large-scale infrastructure projects are being implemented.

You have just raised the topic of tourism. We are greatly pleased to say that one of our most ambitious completed projects, our Sukhum International Airport named after V.G. Ardzinba, has already received over 100,000 passengers. This is a very positive sign for us. It shows that we are moving in the right direction with our strategic ally and partner. The impact is clear.

A number of healthcare programs are also actively underway. The Republican Children's Hospital is nearing completion. This is extremely important for our country. Several other facilities are very technologically advanced, influencing the health of the nation and the younger generation. Educational youth programs are being actively implemented.

A significant number of our young compatriots have already participated in educational clusters, such as the Senezh Management Workshop and a number of other formats.

The All-Russian Society "Knowledge" recently began operating in Abkhazia. This is also a very important positive sign for us. We are actively moving towards this type of cooperation.

Of course, maintaining high security standards in the region is a crucial component of our global cooperation, which is being achieved with the assistance of our Russian allies and colleagues. A number of mutual exercises between the two Defense Ministries are currently underway, elements of combat coordination are being developed, and various training sessions are being held. For us, this is another very important format that guarantees the protection of our country from military and political risks.

Of course, I cannot help but mention at today's meeting what is already being implemented. We discussed this at our last meeting. An educational project for the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia is being conducted at MGIMO University. We discussed this at our first meeting, and today it is already a reality. This is what today nurtures us with competencies and new knowledge in partnership with our Russian friends and colleagues.

One important project that will soon be implemented; it is already nearing completion – the creation of our national trade, exhibition, and cultural center in the most ambitious, historical, and excursion venue – VDNKh. I'm confident that we will open this national center soon. It's quite an ambitious platform, a transformative one with a multiplier effect. And, of course, it will be a focal point for visitors to the capital, for Muscovites, for everyone who visits Moscow and sees Abkhazia's visiting card there.

Of course, active cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia and Russia is very important to us. With the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Russia's missions abroad, we are actively implementing our foreign policy activities. These are always coordinated actions, and they always take place with the help of our Russian colleagues. You quite rightly noted that a number of foreign visits have been carried out. I will, of course, speak about them later. And this is happening with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, for which we are very grateful.

Of course, an important area—one of the key points of our meeting today—is the signing of the Consultation Plan between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for 2026-2027. This is a further confirmation that cooperation between the Abkhazia and Russian foreign ministries is very intensive, highly professional, and always characterized by a sense of alliance and friendship. We are very grateful for this. Thank you very much.