24 February 2015, 06:54 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia and the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia are planning to create a unified perimeter of defense and security, the press service of the Russian Security Council said Thursday.
Head of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev and his Abkhazian counterpart, Muhammad Kilba, signed earlier on Thursday a Plan on cooperation between respective security bodies for 2015-2016.
"The cooperation plan envisions coordination of bilateral efforts aimed at setting up a unified perimeter of defense and security," the press service said in a statement.
Abkhazia broke away from Georgia following an ethnically tinged war in 1992-1993. The region, as well as another breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia, was recognized by Russia as an independent state in August 2008.
Georgia then severed diplomatic relations with Moscow and declared the two Caucasian republics occupied territories.
In November 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abkhaz President Raul Khajimba signed a strategic agreement on foreign policy, security, defense and economic cooperation.
