The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, Oleg Bartsits, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.

According to the Abkhaz government, the meeting took place at Tishrin Palace in Damascus. The parties "considered a wide range of issues concerning interstate Abkhazian-Syrian cooperation."

"Current issues of the regional and international agenda were discussed, in particular the situation in the Middle East," the statement reads.

It is noted that Oleg Bartsits "thanked his Syrian colleague for the clear and unequivocal position of Syria’s leadership in matters of further development and strengthening of interstate cooperation" with Abkhazia.

"Taking into account the transit possibilities of Abkhazia, the prospect of developing transport and logistics infrastructure with the use of seaports was discussed. Such an approach will create prerequisites for the development of trade and business between our countries," the statement indicated.

The Abkhaz Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that during the meeting, "a firm desire to strengthen and comprehensively develop cooperation" was confirmed, as well as a commitment "to expand cooperation in the economy and culture."

"We see how the leadership of Syria is making every effort to strengthen stability and security in the country and to improve the quality of life of Syrians," Bartsits noted.

He invited the head of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to visit Abkhazia and presented him with gifts and a letter from the Abkhazian leader Badra Gunba "with an invitation addressed to the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, to visit the Republic of Abkhazia at any convenient time."

The Abkhaz Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet published photos of the meeting. The meeting is also not reported in the official accounts of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or on the website of the Syrian state agency SANA.

According to the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry, Oleg Bartsits also held a meeting at the “Embassy of Abkhazia in Damascus”. In addition, he met with representatives of the Abkhaz-Adyghe and Circassian diaspora associations in Syria: "During the meetings, which took place in different regions, key issues related to the support of the diaspora and the strengthening of its ties with the historical homeland were discussed."

Earlier, Georgia requested that Turkey act as a mediator in negotiations with the new Syrian government to secure the withdrawal of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Representatives of the Georgian opposition, as well as U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson, made similar appeals to the new Syrian authorities. The position of official Damascus was not reported.

Georgia and its international partners consider Abkhazia and South Ossetia as territories occupied by the Russian Federation. Only Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Syria, and Nauru recognize their independence.

The Syrian Arab Republic recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2018. The Abkhaz “Embassy” was opened in Damascus in 2020.