Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh said on October 20 that Abkhazia’s independence will be recognized no matter what will be an outcome of the talks over Kosovo status, Apsnipress news agency reported on October 20.

He said that Abkhazia has more legal grounds for independence than Kosovo. Bagapsh said that he plans to request Russian President to recognize Abkhazia’s independence. He also said that issue has already been discussed during the meeting with Putin.

“Together with President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity, we told President Putin that we will insist on recognition of sovereignties of our republics,” Bagapsh said, without specifying when and where the meeting with President Putin took place.

In late September, both Kokoity and Bagapsh were among invited guest at a roundtable discussions with President Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Sergey Bagapsh also said that the Abkhaz authorities also plan to appeal the European Union, Council of Europe, the UN Security Council and other international organizations to recognize the region’s independence.