On August 27, 2026, a meeting was held between Acting Minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia Odyssey Bigvava and Jesús Rafael Salazar Velázquez, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Russian Federation and concurrently to the Republic of Abkhazia, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia.

The meeting was attended by Madina Zukhba, Head of the Department of Latin America, Asia, and the Asia-Pacific Region of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, and Saria Dzhopua, Head of the Department for Interaction with International Organizations.

Jesús Rafael Salazar Velázquez arrived in the Republic of Abkhazia to participate in events dedicated to the 18th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Odyssey Bigvava thanked the Ambassador for his visit to the Republic of Abkhazia and emphasized the importance of further developing and strengthening of Abkhaz-Venezuelan relations.

During the meeting, the parties discussed current issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as other matters of mutual interest.

Particular attention was paid to the situation in Venezuela, including the aftermath of the recent earthquake. Odyssey Bigvava expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and wished for a speedy restoration of the damaged infrastructure and the recovery from the natural disaster.

The parties confirmed their readiness to develop contacts and cooperation in political, interagency, cultural, economic, and other areas of mutual interest.

At the end of the meeting, which was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere, the parties exchanged commemorative gifts.