On March 3, de-facto Abkhaz Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba said that there is and will not be any infringement of national sovereignty in joining the Union State.

He stressed that the members of the Union State are equal subjects of international relations. "A union state is, first of all, its economy and security. Just what is happening today between Russia and Belarus? We do not see any infringement of national sovereignty; it will not happen, we are sure. Any integration association develops on the principle of sovereign equality among states. This is a fundamental principle of international relations," the head of the de-facto Foreign Ministry stated.

According to Ardzinba, the formation of a mechanism for trilateral cooperation between Abkhazia, Russia, and Belarus is in the national interest. "We have a lot of trade, economic, investment, and security issues. We want to strengthen our security; we do not want combat drones flying over the heads of our compatriots, as is happening in Karabakh. Therefore, it is in our interests to strengthen security issues. Trade and economic ties with Russia and Belarus are an opportunity for us to improve the quality of life for our citizens and create jobs," he said.

According to Ardzinba, the government of Abkhazia is at the stage of intellectual development through its participation in various integration associations.

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