Dear Rustam Nurgaliyevich!

Dear friends!

I am sincerely glad to welcome you to the hospitable Abkhazian land.

The Abkhazian people have revered guests as the highest value since ancient times. Our ancestors used to say: "He who has a guest has God in his house."  
But when people visit whom we have long-standing friendly, brotherly relations with, such a day becomes a double celebration. This is exactly the holiday we are celebrating today.

Today we are hosting the Tatar national holiday Sabantuy, which has long since crossed the borders of Tatarstan and Russia. It is celebrated annually in dozens of countries around the world, uniting millions of people around respect for labor, family traditions, friendship, and mutual understanding.

Today's celebration is not just a vibrant cultural event – it is a symbol of the strong friendship between Abkhazia and Tatarstan, a symbol of mutual respect, trust, and the sincere human closeness of our peoples.

Our relationship has truly stood the test of time. We will never forget that on the fifth day after the aggression against Abkhazia began, the leaders of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Republic of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimiev, and the Republic of Bashkortostan, Murtaza Rakhimov, issued a joint statement calling for an immediate cessation of bloodshed and a resolution of the conflict, taking into account the legitimate interests of the Abkhaz people. In those tragic days when the fate of our country was being decided, this principled and courageous stance was of great importance to Abkhazia. We perceived it as a manifestation of justice, solidarity, and genuine brotherly relations. The people of Abkhazia remember and highly value this support to this day.

Tatarstan's support was not limited to words. In the most difficult years, humanitarian aid, medicines, food, and fuel – everything our republic desperately needed – arrived in Abkhazia.

Assistance in training young specialists was of particular importance. Leading higher education institutions of Tatarstan opened their doors to Abkhazian youth both during and after the war. Many graduates of these universities still work for the benefit of Abkhazia today, making a worthy contribution to the development of our state.

A strong foundation for friendship between our republics was laid thanks to the personal, trusting relationship between the First President of the Republic of Abkhazia, national leader Vladislav Grigoryevich Ardzinba, and the First President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev.

It is no coincidence that on the tenth anniversary of the Victory in the Patriotic War of the Abkhazian people, Vladislav Ardzinba awarded Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev the Order of "Akhdz-Apsha" for his significant contribution to strengthening peace and friendly relations between peoples, and for his active assistance and support of Abkhazia.

As a token of deep gratitude for the support, Tatarstanskaya and Bashkortostanskaya Streets have existed in Sukhum for over thirty years. For the residents of Abkhazia, these are not just names on a city map. This is a living memory of those who did not remain indifferent to the fate of our people in the most difficult years of its history.

And today our cooperation continues to develop successfully.
Thanks to the support of the leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan, a part of the Sukhum Embankment has been reconstructed. It has become more modern, beautiful, and comfortable, and every day it will serve as a reminder that true friendship is confirmed by good deeds.

We also agreed to more actively develop cultural and humanitarian ties. Our creative groups will perform more often in Tatarstan, and Tatarstan's groups will perform in Abkhazia. We will implement joint cultural, educational, and youth projects so that the residents of Abkhazia and Tatarstan can better learn about each other's history, traditions, and culture. I am sure that it is precisely these human connections that make the friendship between our peoples even stronger.

Russia was and remains the main friend and strategic ally of the Republic of Abkhazia. Strengthening relations with Great Russia is a key direction of our state's foreign policy.

The development of cooperation with Russian regions plays a special role in this. It is precisely such connections that fill the strategic partnership with living content, create new opportunities for the implementation of joint projects, strengthen economic, cultural, and humanitarian contacts, help people get to know each other better, and make our friendship even stronger.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish fraternal Tatarstan and all the multinational people of the republic peace, well-being, prosperity, and new successes.

Бзиала шәаабеит!

Рэхим итегез!