Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh told an outdoor public gathering in the capital Sokhumi on December 6 that Abkhazia and Georgia will never be able to coexist in a united state, Russian and Abkhaz news agencies reported.

The public gathering, with the participation of political parties and public movements, was designed to show Abkhaz society’s unity in their aspirations for independence.

The event, which according to Russian television reports was attended by tens of thousands of people, was timed to coincide with the Russian State Duma’s consideration of a request by the Abkhaz Parliament to recognize the region’s independence on December 6.

Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh said while addressing the meeting that Georgia’s militarization process is a source of concern. He also said that some of those countries that try to be mediators in the conflict are assisting Tbilisi in this militarization process, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

“It is obvious that this kind of military assistance towards Georgia fosters its [Georgia’s] aggressive plans,” RIA Novosti quoted Bagapsh as saying.