Question: How could you comment on the recent visits of Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos to South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

Answer: We view the visit of Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos to the Republic of South Ossetia on April 13-15 as the success of South Ossetian diplomacy and as testimony to the irreversible strengthening of the position of the young Transcaucasian republic in the international arena.

During the talks, a joint declaration on establishing diplomatic relations between Nicaragua and South Ossetia, and a protocol on foreign office consultations were signed. The Nicaraguan delegation was shown around Tskhinval with its scenes of devastation that was caused by the Georgian aggression in August 2008 and the social facilities being restored with Russian expert help.

Foreign Minister Santos's visit to the Republic of Abkhazia on April 16-17 demonstrated Managua and Sukhum's firm intention to develop and strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, energy and banking.

Abkhaz President Sergey Bagapsh emphasized at a meeting with Santos that Abkhazia and Nicaragua have a lot of opportunities for the development of bilateral relations, despite their geographic remoteness. Priority will be given to economic and foreign policy cooperation.

During the talks in Tskhinval and Sukhum, arrangements were reached for the future visits by the Presidents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Nicaragua.

April 19, 2010