Mikhail Galuzin: I hope that flights to Sokhumi will begin in the near future

We do not consider the restoration of air traffic with Abkhazia as an issue related to the problems of our air traffic with Georgia - this is a completely independent topic, - the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Galuzin, said in an interview with Russian media.

He said that he hopes that flights to Sokhumi will begin in the near future.

"The reconstruction of the Sokhumi airport began in 2023 and is currently nearing completion. A test flight has already been carried out from Russia. We hope that regular flights will begin soon. This will make it easier for a very large number of Russians to visit Abkhazia for the purposes of tourism, business, etc. I expect that the Georgian side, with its pragmatism and understanding of the importance of ties with Russia, will continue to develop Russian-Georgian cooperation where it is beneficial for both countries. This mood has always existed in the Russian side, and we do not link our cooperation with Georgia to political or economic demands. I very much hope that pragmatism and common sense, which clearly prevail in Tbilisi today, will be maintained on this issue," Galuzin noted.