On August 25, Inal Ardzinba, the de-facto Minister for Foreign Affairs of separatist Abkhazia, and Faisal Mekdad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Affairs of Compatriots Abroad of Syria, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of their countries in Sokhumi.

"The memorandum provides for the unification of efforts in the context of establishing and expanding contacts in the Middle East in order to protect the national interests of Abkhazia and Syria," the information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia said.

The Syrian Minister arrived in Abkhazia on an official visit on August 24, on the eve of the 14th anniversary of the "Day of Recognition of the Independence of the Republic", which is celebrated on August 26. Inal Ardzinba met his Syrian colleague at the Abkhaz-Russian border. For the first time, a high-level Syrian statesman has arrived in separatist Abkhazia.

As previously reported by Caucasus Watch, in June, the de-facto Defense Minister of Abkhazia, Colonel General Vladimir Anua, and the Defense Minister of Syria, Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas, signed an agreement between the departments on cooperation in the military field. According to the press service of the de-facto Ministry of Defence of Abkhazia, the signing took place during the visit of the Abkhazian delegation to the Syrian Arab Republic. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defence.

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