The President of the Republic of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh has accepted an offer of the Republican political party “United Abkhazia” to run for the second term.
Delivering speech at the III convention of the "United Abkhazia” today he said: “Almost five years have passed since the people entrusted me to lead the state. Those years were very difficult, intense. Laborious work to form state institutions focused on protection of interests of independence of Abkhazia, promoting its economic growth, taking care of citizens and being a guarantor of prosperity of the society as a whole has been done. This work has been done against the background of serious threats of war recommencement, regular armed provocations in the frontier region, complicated atmosphere of negotiations with Georgia, international pressure upon our country. The government had to work “on two fronts” - military-political and socio-economic”.
According to him, “during this period we could get moving the solution of the problems existing in the economy, social sphere and foreign policy, the issue of bloodless rebuilding of territorial integrity of the country”.
“The foreign policy of the country aimed at development of mutually advantageous political and economic contacts has gained new forms. Well considered, correctly built mutual relations with the Russian Federation have considerably accelerated Abkhazia’s entry into the sphere of the international political relations. They have started global historical processes”, Bagapsh said.
He laid especial emphasis on the role of the Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Aid Treaty between Abkhazia and Russia, which has started legally formalized long-term contacts between the countries.
“Active extension of contacts with other countries for which the recognition of independence of Abkhazia by the Russian Federation, Nicaragua and Venezuela could become an additional impulse for further actions is in progress”, the President stressed.
Sergey Bagapsh also mentioned fundamental changes in the economic situation in the country. “The revenue part of the budget was dynamically growing; commodity turnover was increasing, tax revenues and customs payments plans were regularly carried out. Every year efficiently working enterprises have become more and more. Positive changes have occurred in the development of the bank system. Money turnover and financial resources of the National bank have increased”, he said.
Positive shifts in the economy, according to the President’s strong conviction, “allowed to make the first steps in solving social problems and strengthening of the living standard of the citizens of Abkhazia: the tendency of salary increase for budgetary sphere employees remains; social security financing has increased several times more; pensions and welfare payments have considerably grown; volumes of construction and reconstruction work done in the country (hospitals, maternity hospitals, schools, preschool centres, cultural and social establishments, highways, etc.) have considerably grown.
“Abkhazia that we build is a strong democratic, socially oriented state. It is a free, fair and spiritually solidary society. It is a competitive innovative economy. It is high quality of life of citizens. It is respect to historical traditions and original cultural values”, Bagapsh said at the convention.
“Everything I did, do, and will do, is aimed at making my country become a worthy state in the world community, a state taking care of well-being and security of its own citizens, a country which can be proud of”, the President Sergey Bagapsh assured the convention delegates.
Sergey Bagapsh
abkhaziagov.org