08 August 2010 – 09:35 – NatPress
Source: abkhaziagov.org
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Maxim Gvindzhia gave at “Apsnypress” State news agency a news conference on the results of the governmental delegation of the Republic of Abkhazia’s visit to Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Members of the delegation, President’s Representative to the Parliament Dmitry Shamba and the Chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Abkhazia Leonid Osia, also answered journalists’ questions
Maxim Gvindzhia said the visit had been held at a high level. “It is the first visit of such a scale in the history of our state. We have signed many documents beneficial for our country that will give a positive impulse to the relations between Abkhazia and the Latin American countries in the future”, the minister said.
The visit was held from July 17 till July 21. The General Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of Nicaragua; intergovernmental agreements on trade and economic cooperation, on mutual visa-free trips of citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia and citizens of the Republic of Nicaragua, on merchant shipping, on air communication; the Memorandum of mutual understanding between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of Nicaragua, on cooperation between the National bank of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Central bank of Nicaragua were signed in Nicaragua.
The “Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”; the “Agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”; the “Memorandum of mutual understanding between the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela” are among the international documents signed in Venezuela.
The foreign policy department head ascertained it had not been just a visit of courtesy to the countries that had recognized along with Russia independence of the Republic of Abkhazia. “This visit might be an impulse for the neighboring countries of this continent to recognize independence of our country”, the minister said. As he said, “we work actively with Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador in this direction”.
Maxim Gvindzhia is certain that “relations between our countries will be developing very intensively in all areas”. “At all the meetings the parties expressed interest in economic, cultural, political cooperation. The distance that separates us, will be compensated by numerous beneficial projects both in politics, and in business”, the head of the Foreign Ministry said.
He also added that big Chilean businessmen would visit Abkhazia in near future.
At the news conference journalists were interested, how much the visit of the governmental delegation to Venezuela and Nicaragua had cost the budget of the country.
According to the Foreign Ministry head, the visit had cost $ 720 thousand the major part of which was the plane lease share. The official delegation of Abkhazia included nine people, and the rest were those who had prepared the visit, promoted its security, mass-media representatives, businessmen, etc.
President’s Representative to the Parliament Dmitry Shamba does not share the opinion of those who spoke critically in mass-media about the members of the delegation and the trip costs. “Those who speak critically about the President’s visit to Latin America, do not understand the importance of this truly historic event, moreover, they cause damage to the image of our state”, Shamba said.