SUKHUMI. Jan 28 (Interfax) - Russia and Abkhazia intend to sign about 40 agreements this year, Russian Ambassador to Abkhazia Semyon Grigoryev told a Thursday press conference.
"The set of documents to be signed during the Moscow visit of Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh includes a number of agreements on transport and communications, among them the air traffic agreement," he said.
"Once that agreement is signed, it will be possible to reopen the Sukhumi Airport," he said.
"We expect the visit to be paid soon after the inauguration of the Abkhaz president-elect," Grigoryev said.
Transport cooperation is a priority, he noted.
"We think it vital to accelerate the construction of Abkhaz railroad infrastructure, port modernization and reopening of the Sukhumi Airport," he said.
"Russia will continue to meet security commitments to Abkhazia this year," the ambassador said.
"We expect the soonest signing of an agreement on the Russian base in Abkhazia, which will start the development of base infrastructure."
"Russian border guards are already fulfilling the agreement on the joint protection of the Abkhaz-Georgian border. The development of the border infrastructure will continue in 2010," he said.
"Russia will promote the Abkhaz role of an independent subject of international law. It will continue to participate in the Geneva debates on South Caucasian security together with Abkhazia and in the five-nation mechanism for the prevention of border incidents. We will carry on the patient and complicated mission to broaden the number of countries that recognize independent Abkhazia," Grigoryev said.