At a meeting with Inal Ardzinba, the de-facto Abkhazian Foreign Minister, on December 13, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad promised that he would make every effort to expand the recognition of the state sovereignty of the separatist Republic of Abkhazia by the countries of the Arab world.

The Syrian president accepted the invitation to visit Abkhazia next year. In addition, the sides expressed support for the "special military operation" conducted by the Russian Federation in Ukraine [Russia's war in Ukraine]. They condemned US actions and attempts to unleash conflicts in the Middle East, Transcaucasia, as well as other regions of the world. They noted Russia's efforts to form a fairer system of international relations and strengthen multipolarity trends in the global economy and politics.

Bashar al-Assad noted the importance of strengthening interaction between [the separatist] Abkhazia and Syria in education, student exchanges, and scientific cooperation. In addition, the Syrian head of state expressed support for projects to develop bilateral dialog in the sphere of culture and sports. The parties positively assess the prospect of holding a friendly match between the national soccer teams of Abkhazia and Syria.

Assad also noted the importance of attracting foreign investments for the development of the economies of Abkhazia and Syria. Ardzinba informed the Syrian president about the efforts of the separatist president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, to form a favorable investment climate in the country and actively work with investors. The relevance of joint Abkhaz-Syrian work with Russian and Belarusian investors was noted.

The parties condemned the Israeli airstrikes on the civilian infrastructure of Syria. The de-facto Abkhaz Foreign Minister noted the importance of implementing the UN Security Council resolutions (242 and 338) on the de-occupation of the Golan Heights. The sides condemned the actions of the collective West, which led to a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. The parties noted the urgency of combating the destructive influence of certain international organizations and Western INGOs trying to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states around the world.

Read also: Separatist Abkhazia Engages in Diplomatic Talks with Syria