TBILISI. Sept 2 (Interfax) - Armenia has formally denied Friday media reports that its President Serzh Sargsyan met with Abkhazian representatives, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
This morning there were reports of a "possible meeting" between Sukhum representatives and the president of Armenia, to which the Georgian Foreign Ministry's reaction was immediate, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Gigi Gigiadze said.
"Our ambassador in Armenia spoke to an Armenian deputy foreign minister. We talked to the Armenian ambassador to Georgia. Armenia stated that there was no meeting with representatives of the breakaway regime," the Georgian official said.
The reports are "another political speculation," he said.
"Georgia sees Armenia as a friendly country which clearly recognizes the sovereignty ad territorial integrity of Georgia, and we continue to cooperate with it very closely," the deputy minister said.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also commented on the Friday reports, saying that, "for Georgia, Armenia is a neighbor, friend and partner which supported and supports the territorial integrity of Georgia, and its stance on this matter has not changed."
He, too, called the reports a "political speculation."
Several media outlets reported earlier that joint photos of Armenian President Sargsyan and Abkhazia's vice president Vitaly Gabnia had appeared on social media websites.
According to the reports, the picture was taken at a reception on the occasion of the 25th anniversary since the foundation of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and it was allegedly released by Abkhazian deputy foreign minister Kan Tania.