Key Agencies

Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma

The State Duma is actively involved in legislative and informational support of the Kremlin’s policies in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region. Members of the State Duma often host de facto leaders of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region, as well as their representatives and also visit the occupied Georgian regions themselves.

Of those established in the State Duma, the most active Committees with regard to Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region are: the Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, Committee of Defence and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Committee for CIS and Relations with Compatriots was established back on January 20, 1994.

The Committee is a leading one in the State Duma in terms of relations with the post-Soviet states, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region, playing an important role in supporting integration processes in terms of the CIS, strengthening Russia’s positions in the post-Soviet area and protecting the rights of compatriots living abroad. One of the main priorities of the Committee is to create legislative basis for Eurasian Economic Union and its effective implementation. The Committee also pays special attention to working with compatriots living abroad as well as coordinating with other state structures regarding this issue.

Relations with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region

  • The Committee periodically organizes joint meetings with the members of the de facto Parliaments on Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region. For example, on October 1, 2018, an extended meeting between the Committees of the Russian and de facto Abkhazian Parliaments was held in Sokhumi. From the Russian side, the members of the Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots were participating in the meeting, including Zatulin himself.
  • On November 16, 2018, the members of the Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots held a joint session with Committees of Foreign Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Ties of the de facto Parliament in Tskhinvali. According to the statement of Russian MP, Viktor Vodolatski, this was the Committee’s first field session in Tskhinvali Region. Kabzek Tasiev also participated in the meeting from the Russian side. 
  • On November 22, 2018, with the initiative of the Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, an international conference entitled “Role of Interactions between Political Parties and Faction Blocks in Terms of Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation between the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States” was held at the State Duma. Members of the de facto Abkhazian Parliament also participated in the conference.  A total of 27 delegations from more than ten countries participated in the conference.