Tamila Mertskhilava, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Abkhazia met with Ritsa Ankvab, the official representative of the Chamber in Scotland.

During the meeting the parties discussed the results of the events held in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, including the "Abkhazian Cultural Evenings" and the project of "Gastronomic Abkhazia" which became significant events of the past year and opened up new prospects for the promotion of Abkhazian culture and products, as well as plans for the further development of cultural and economic ties between entrepreneurs of Abkhazia and Scotland.

Tamila Mertskhulava expressed gratitude to Ritsa Ankvab for the high organization of the events, especially noting her contribution to strengthening the international image of Abkhazia.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your initiative and dedication. Despite the absence of our diaspora in Scotland the events you held on a voluntary basis were a real breakthrough allowing the Scottish public to touch the rich culture of our country. It were your responsibility, communication skills and personal connections that we were able to successfully implement such projects," the CCI President emphasized.

Tamila Mertskhulava noted that the success of the presentations indicated a great interest in Abkhazia and confirmed the continued support for such initiatives in order to strengthen international cooperation and a positive image of our republic abroad.

Ritsa Ankvab noted the significant interest of the Scots in Abkhazia, their admiration for its beauty and the success of tasting Abkhazian products.

"I have been proud to represent our republic at presentations and have always stressed the importance of respecting its rights in the international arena, including the right to self–determination," said Riza Ankvab.

The meeting was attended by Lana Kiut the Vice President and Naala Basaria the Head of the External Relations and Investment Dpt. of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry .