Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Alexander Ankvab on “convincing victory” in the Friday’s presidential election in the breakaway region, according to the Kremlin.

Kremlin said in a statement released less than a couple of hours after the breakaway region’s central election commission announced election results, that Medvedev spoke with Ankvab by the phone and “wished him success.”

“Medvedev and Ankvab spoke in favor of further strengthening of the Russian-Abkhaz partnership,” the Kremlin said.

Ankvab said at a news conference in Sokhumi on Saturday, that he would continue course of late Abkhaz leader, Sergey Bagapsh, “who was keen supporter of relations with Russia and we will further develop those ties.”

“We will demonstrate to the world, that Russia made a right decision by recognizing our independence,” Ankvab said.