Sergey Bagapsh, de facto president of Abkhazia, said he was willing to run for the second term in office in elections scheduled for December, 2009, in the breakaway region.

“It seems that I will run for presidency for the second term, as according to the Abkhaz constitution, the President has the right to be elected twice for a term of five years,” Abkhaz official news agency, Apsnipress, reported on April 17 quoting Bagapsh, who is visiting Moscow.

Echoing remarks by the Russian leadership, Bagapsh also said that the NATO military exercises planned in Georgia in next month did not serve the stability in the Caucasus.

“We are watching the situation in Georgia and we will also hold exercises in response,” he said adding that the administrative border with Georgia was protected jointly by the Abkhazian-Russian forces.