TBILISI, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Georgia denied Thursday the legitimacy of an agreement between its breakaway republic of Abkhazia and Russia on cooperation in air traffic.
The agreement, signed on Wednesday, focuses on direct flights between Russia and Abkhazia and obliges Russia to help repair Abkhazia's Sukhumi airport.
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze on Thursday told reporters that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) would never recognize the legitimacy of the agreement.
He implied that Georgia had informed the ICAO about the situation.
"The ICAO will declare the agreement illegitimate and will call on the sides to stop the flights," Vashadze said, adding that the agreement endangers the whole Caucasian region.
Russia and Georgia fought a war in 2008 when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia, which broke from its rule along with Abkhazia, in the 1990s following the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
In response, Moscow sent in troops to drive Georgian forces out of the region and recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict ended.
Russia and Abkhazia also signed a deal on Wednesday allowing Moscow to operate a permanent military base in the region for at least 49 years.
