SUKHUM. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Abkhazia continues expanding its international relations, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba said, commenting on the statements by the Georgian Foreign Ministry on a meeting between Abkhaz President Aslan Bzhania and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
"Despite all efforts of the Georgian leadership aimed at the international isolation of Abkhazia, our country continues to confidently follow the path of expanding its international ties," the minister was quoted by his press service as saying.
"The sooner Georgia realizes that Abkhazia is a sovereign independent state, the faster it will be possible to overcome the current contradictions and create conditions for building civilized bilateral relations," Ardzinba said.
Lukashenko held a meeting with Bzhania in Minsk on Tuesday, where he said Belarus is interested in cooperation with Abkhazia. Bzhania, for his part, said contacts with Minsk are important for the process of overcoming international isolation.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned the Lukashenko-Bzhania meeting in Minsk. The meeting "grossly violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
"We call on Belarus to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and to stop acting in this manner, which runs counter to the fundamental principles and norms of international law," the statement said.