Vladimir Putin thanked Badra Gunba for participating in the Victory Day celebrations. He noted that honoring the memory of heroes is a natural tradition for the people of Abkhazia, as more than 55,000 residents of the republic took part in the war, 23 became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 17,000 ethnic Abkhazians lost their lives on the front lines.
The Russian President noted the dynamic development of bilateral relations and the growth in trade turnover between the two countries.
“I would like to note that our interstate relations are developing successfully. You have been leading the republic for just over a year, and positive changes have taken place during this time as well. Suffice it to say that our trade turnover grew by 16 percent last year. This is a good indicator,” Vladimir Putin said.
Badra Gunba congratulated Vladimir Putin on the holiday and thanked him for his efforts to preserve historical memory.
The President of Abkhazia noted the active growth of cooperation in all spheres and expressed gratitude for decisions of particular importance to the republic.
“As you rightly noted, our relations are developing very dynamically, trade turnover is growing, and we are seeing active growth in practically all spheres of life,” Badra Gunba said.
In particular, he reported that, thanks to support for the opening of Sukhum International Airport, more than 120,000 passengers were transported on regular flights by the end of 2025.
“Today, Sukhum is connected by direct flights with Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khanty-Mansiysk, Ufa, and Nizhny Novgorod. In the coming days, we also expect the launch of a new route to Mineralnye Vody in Stavropol Krai. The geography of flights is expanding. Of course, this gives additional momentum to our relations and economic development,” Badra Gunba emphasized.
The Head of State also expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by Russian medical personnel and for the provision of sanitary and epidemiological laboratories.
“Thank you for your decision concerning the medical personnel. During last year’s peak season, Russian doctors worked in our country, assisting our specialists. You also made the decision to provide sanitary and epidemiological laboratories, which are extremely important facilities that did not previously exist in our country,” Badra Gunba said.
Special gratitude was also expressed for maintaining the simplified border-crossing procedure for children under the age of 14.
“I would also like to thank you for the decision regarding the new border-crossing regulations for children under 14 years of age. These restrictions do not currently apply to Abkhazia. This creates additional opportunities to increase tourist flow to the republic. Thank you very much for your personal attention and active involvement in strengthening cooperation between our countries,” Badra Gunba noted.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Badra Gunba conveyed congratulations from all citizens of Abkhazia to Vladimir Putin.