Meeting with President of the Republic of Abkhazia Badra Gunba

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President,

I am happy to see you again and want to thank you for your participation in the celebrations marking the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

It is quite natural for you to attend such events as over 55,000 Abkhazia residents participated in the Great Patriotic War with 23 of them conferred the title Hero of the Soviet Union. There were also those who were decorated with three Orders of Glory; 17,000 ethnic Abkhazians died. Their feat is truly staggering. Therefore, it is absolutely natural for Abkhazia and its people to honour their heroic ancestors.

I want to stress that our inter-state relations are successfully moving ahead. You have been in office for over a year, and positive changes have been happening during that time. Suffice it to say that trade turnover has grown by 16 percent in the past year. This is a good trend.

Clearly, a lot more has to be done, and this is natural. This is what I suggest we talk about today.

To be continued.