Belarusian MFA: We’ll cooperate with Abkhazia

The Minister of Foreign Affairs commented a visit of a delegation of Lukashenka’s Administration to unrecognized Abkhazia.

The Belarusian delegation leading by head of Lukashenka’s Administration Uladzimir Makei paid a visit to Sukhumi on May 12 “to develop bilateral relations in trade, economic and humanitarian sectors”. It was said by head of the information department, MFA spokesman Andrei Papou, Interfax reports.

“We have our own history of relations with Abkhazian people. These relations have developed long ago the notorious events on Caucasus last August,” the MFA spokesman said.

“This contact was supposed to gain momentum to our relations,” Papou noted.

It should be reminded that Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the Russian State Duma, said Belarus was delaying terms the “house of representatives” planned to consider an issue of recognizing Abkhazia an independent state.

“I think it takes too much time for Belarus to prepare to solve this issue. I understand nobody should press, but Belarus promised to consider the question in April that hasn’t happened,” Gryzlov noted.

Representatives of the Belarusian “house of representatives” said recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia depends how Russia is ready to “compensate” for the consequences of this step.

“We can’t raise a question of how one party – Belarus – is ready for all possible consequences, and the other party – Russia – is ready to compensate for possible effects,” head of the Belarusian “parliament” Viktar Huminski told.

It should be noticed Alyaksandr Lukashenka spoke in favour of recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia several times. On March 23, the Belarusian ruler met with Syarhei Bagapsh, head of unrecognized Abkhazia, in Sochi and discussed a range of issues of trade cooperation.

Independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is recognized only by Russia today. President of Nicaragua recognized the republics orally, but the parliament didn’t support the initiative of the head of state.