Russia concludes friendship and cooperation treaties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Today, Russia has concluded treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The solemn signing ceremony took place in the Kremlin.

"We shall render all the necessary support, including the military one, to each other. This opportunity is provided by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which proclaims the right to individual or collective self-defence," the ITAR-TASS quotes President Medvedev as saying.

"The Russian Federation will take efficient measures to support and make functional the financial and banking systems of the Republic of Abkhazia, outgoing from the fact that Russian rouble is the main payment instrument in the territory of Abkhazia," runs the Russian-Abkhazian treaty, same as the Russian-South-Ossetian one, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

Russia will represent Abkhazia and South Ossetia in third countries, where these new republics have no diplomatic representative offices.

The treaties on friendship and cooperation concluded between Russia and Abkhazia, and Russia and South Ossetia assume also future agreements on dual citizenship.

The documents also mark that Russia is going to unite its energy and transport systems, as well as communication and telecom systems with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.