Bagapsh believes Lukashenka will recognize Abkhazia

• 3.04.2009, 8:58

Abkhazian president Sergei Bagapsh says recognition of Abkhazia’s independence is inevitable.

“Recognition of independence by the world community is an inevitable process, we will never return to former political and economic order,” the president of the breakaway republic said, GHN agency reports.

The politician added that if earlier European commissioners were trying to convince Abkhazia to establish diplomatic relations with Georgia, now they are talking about security of civilians in the near-border regions and activities of European humanitarian organizations in Abkhazia.

“There are grounds to hope Belarus will support our independence by the end of the year,” Sergei Bagapsh said.

It should be reminded that independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been recognized only by Russia and Nicaragua so far. Representatives of a number of states, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka, but none of them have officially recognized the republics.

The European Union repeatedly said a decision on development of the dialogue between Europe and official Minsk would depend in particular on the treatment of the issue of recognition of the break-away republics situated on the territory of Georgia.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has had a personal meeting with Sergei Bagapsh in Sochi.