New Abkhazian president inaugurated

The inauguration of Sergey Bagapsh, new Abkhazian president elect, was held in Sukhum on February 12. Many delegations from Krasnodar Region, headed by Governor Aleksandr Tkachyov, South Osetia, headed by President Eduard Kokoity, and Karachaevo-Cherkessia, headed by President Mustafa Batdyev arrived in Abkhazian for it.

During the inauguration in Sukhum, President of the Republic of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh expressed his thanks to Russian President Vladimir Putin for giving support to Abkhazia. He confirmed one more time that the Abkhazian leadership headed for the strategic union with Russia. "The issue of integration with Russia will always be chief for Abkhazia," the Abkhazian president emphasized. "It's happened historically that we were with Russia many years. It's the country in which we see our defense, and it's Russia which is performing peace mission between Abkhazia and Georgia," Sergey Bagapsh stated. He believes that for the purpose of economic integration with Russia, Abkhazian economic, tax, and tariff legislation must "be synchronized with the Russian one in the near future". "The republic is open for Russian investment. Several joint ventures are working hear, but on the whole, the intensity of cooperation cannot be estimated as very positive," the Abkhazian president said.