Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgia has voiced its position over the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leader of Georgia's breakaway region Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab.

Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said while commenting on the issue that Georgia will never accept the violation of its territorial integrity, expressing "great concern".

Putin met with Ankvab at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on March 12 and "discussed development of cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia," the Kremlin said, according to civil.ge.

Ankvab thanked Putin for supporting Abkhazia and said "it's very important for our development."

Ankvab also said that he had already discussed in Moscow a broad range of issues "which will foster improvement of the existing conditions in Abkhazia."

Russia and Georgia have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the breakaway regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008 and broke off relations with Moscow.

Before the meeting with Putin, Ankvab met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill in Moscow. Spiritual and cultural relationship between the peoples was discussed during the meeting.