Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Raul Khadzhimba, the leader of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia | Alexey Druzhinin/AFP via Getty Images

Russian president visits Abkhazia on anniversary of brief war over the territory.

By David M. Herszenhorn

8/8/17, 6:39 PM CET

NATO rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for visiting the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia on the ninth anniversary of a brief war over the territory and another disputed region, South Ossetia.

Russia has all but annexed the two regions, which exist only thanks to Russian economic aid and the protection of the Russian military and security services. Putin signed an agreement effectively integrating South Ossetia in 2015 and a similar treaty with Abkhazia in 2014.

Russia has been accused repeatedly by Georgia and the West of further encroaching on Georgias territorial sovereignty by surreptitiouslymoving the borders.

Putin met Tuesday with the president of Abkhazia, Raul Khadzhimba, in the Black Sea resort town of Pitsunda, and a NATO spokesman in Brussels quickly denounced the Russian leaders move.

President Putins visit to the Abkhazia region of Georgia on the ninth anniversary of the armed conflict is detrimental to international efforts to find a peaceful and negotiated settlement, the spokesman, Dylan White, said in a statement. We regret that this visit was carried out without prior consent of the Georgian authorities.

NATO is united in full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally-recognized borders, White said. We will not recognize any attempts to change the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as regions of Georgia.

At Putins meeting, the Russian and Abkhazian health ministers signed an agreement to extend Russian government health insurance to Russian citizens living in Abkhazia. Effectively, all residents of Abkhazia can obtain Russian citizenship.

Guests, from wherever they come, including from Russia, should understand and feel that they are under reliable protection, Putin said at the meeting, according to a statement by the Kremlin.

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NATO criticizes Putin visit to disputed Georgia territory - POLITICO.eu