N Novgorod, Abkhazia to cooperate in trade, economy, science

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17/10 Tass 130


SUKHUM, October 17 (Itar-Tass) -- Abkhazia's Prime Minister Sergei
Shamba and Governor of Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Region Valery Shantsev
signed and intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in trade, the
economy, science and culture. The ceremony took place over Abkhazia's
Second business forum on Saturday.
"The signed agreement will allow Abkhazia and Nizhny Novgorod to have
more tight relations based on friendship and mutual assistance," Deputy
Governor Dmitry Svatkovsky said.
He specifically highlighted the fact that besides the cooperation in
the economy, Abkhazia and Nizhny Novgorod agreed on cooperation in
culture, science, and education.
"This is a very important step forward, and we have agreed that we
need to organise a working group which will set pilot projects and ways to
implement them," Svatkovsky said.
He expressed gratitude to Abkhazia, which had helped the region in the
tough times of the wildfires. Abkhazia's authorities welcomed children to
one of the resorts.
"Our friends supported us in the difficult time and it became possible
to evacuate children to a wonderful resort so that they had proper summer
rest," he said.
Shamba, in his turn, said that the country has about 30 agreements
with Russia's various regions, but regretted that not all of them were
followed effectively.
"As for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, we may say that our relations are
developing more actively," he said.
Abkhazia suffered through difficult times, and the Nizhny Novgorod
Region assisted it a lot, he added.
"Now, our mutual relations access a new level where we may have
mutually beneficial cooperation," he said. "Recently, Abkhazia has bought
120 busses, thus the plant offered new jobs and got an additional impetus
for its development."
"This proves that we may have mutually advantageous projects, and we
support this cooperation," Shamba said. "I am convinced that following
today's forum there will be more opportunities of the kind."

-0-kar