CARACAS, Venezuela—The leader of a separatist region of Georgia said Friday that he is building closer ties with Venezuela and seeking President Hugo Chavez's help in gaining international recognition of Abkhazia as an independent state.
Venezuela is one of only four countries -- including Russia, Nicaragua and the small South Pacific island nation of Nauru -- that have recognized Abkhazia as independent.
Abkhazia leader Sergei Bagapsh said that officials are working on dozens of potential cooperation agreements with Venezuela, including accords to increase trade and to receive technical assistance from Venezuela's state oil company as Abkhazia explores for crude.
Bagapsh said he would speak with Chavez about the possibility of Venezuela convincing more Latin American governments to recognize Abkhazia, but he said those efforts could be difficult because the United States -- which does not consider the region a separate country -- also holds sway with some Latin American countries.
"We understand that recognition is a long and difficult process, and we understand that the United States has much influence in the region," Bagapsh said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Russia recognized the two separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent after the 2008 Russian-Georgian war and has kept troops there.
Bagapsh said there are 1,800 Russian troops in Abkhazia, saying they help with border security. He argues their presence is relatively insignificant. Georgia and many Western countries say the military presence amounts to Russian occupation.
Bagapsh was visiting Caracas along with South Ossetia's leader, Eduard Kokoity, who also was expected to meet with Chavez. The Venezuelan leader also has close ties with Russia.
Bagapsh was in Nicaragua last week.
In Caracas, Bagapsh hailed Thursday's advisory ruling by the U.N. International Court of Justice that Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia did not violate international law, saying it's a sign that Abkhazia's sovereignty claims are legitimate.
"I think the decision itself will have a great influence on the efforts we are making," Bagapsh said, speaking through an interpreter. "There can be no double standards."
He also took issue with suggestions by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that Russia is occupying Abkhazia.
"She's too important of a politician not to know what occupation means," he said. "It's wrong to view the situation from just one point of view, just from the Georgian side."
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