Monthly Review

Review of Kremlin Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region

2022 / 12 / 01

Publication:  N47 / Review period:  November 1-30, 2022

Review of the Kremlin Policy in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The purpose of the publication is to review important developments related to Russia’s policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the Kremlin policy in the occupied regions of Georgia.

New Official Responsible for the Occupied Regions of Georgia 

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, was appointed as the Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Commission for the Socio-Economic Cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia and Russia and the Tskhinvali Region. He replaced the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Marat Khusnullin, in this position. Novak will supervise the occupied regions of Georgia in the Russian government and will be responsible for controlling the spending of funds allocated by Russia in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

The Chairman of the de facto government of the Tskhinvali region and the Co-Chair of the “Intergovernmental” Commission, Konstantin Jusoev, also met with the new appointee. At the meeting, issues of cooperation in investments, healthcare, tourism, energy and other fields were discussed. The meeting of the “Intergovernmental” Commission will be held in Moscow in January 2023.

 Meeting Between Alexander Novak and Konstantin Jusoev. Source: government.ru

New “Ambassador” to Russia 

On November 30, Alkhas Kvitsinia was appointed as the “Ambassador” of Abkhazia to Russia. Previously, he held the post of the Head of the Administration of the de facto President, Aslan Bzhania, from where he scandalously resigned a few months ago. Doubts arose that Kvitsinia would join political groups opposed to Bzhania, although the start of Kvitsinia’s diplomatic career will reduce the chances of this.

Sergey Lavrov Hosted the De Facto Minister of Foreign Affairs

A meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, and the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali region, Akhsar Jioev, was held in Moscow. Lavrov thanked Jioev for his objective, measured position towards Russia's military intervention in Ukraine and his support for the referendum which was held in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic, the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The meeting also discussed the issue of cooperation in the field of security and the importance of Russian military bases on the territory of the occupied Tskhinvali region.

Aslan Bzhania Met with a Parliamentary Delegation of the Union State

The President of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with a parliamentary delegation of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, led by Artem Turov, the Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism. At the meeting, Bzhania spoke about the importance of cooperation between the “parliaments” and expressed the hope that relations between the Abkhaz, Russian and Belarusian people will become even closer through these meetings. He also noted the importance of economic relations between the de facto republic and Belarus. In addition to the meeting with the de facto President, the parliamentary delegation of the Union State of Belarus and Russia also met with deputies of the de facto parliament of Abkhazia.

Meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma  

On November 30, Bzhania hosted the Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Sergey Neverov. Issues of bilateral cooperation were discussed at the meeting. It is interesting that the next day, December 1, the Speaker of the State Duma, Vladimir Volodin, paid an unexpected visit to Sokhumi.

Delegation of the De Facto Ministry of Defense Visits Moscow

On November 14-17, 2022, a delegation of the de facto Ministry of Defense of the Tskhinvali region met with a delegation of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow. The Ossetian side was chaired by the de facto Minister of Defense, Marat Pavlov, and the Russian side - by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Rear Admiral Vladimir Vorobyov. The meeting discussed current issues of military cooperation including the opening of a military faculty at the “South Ossetian State University,” renewal of the so-called Ministry of Defense, implementation of previously signed agreements and other issues. At the end of the meeting, the parties signed a protocol of negotiations.

Meeting in Moscow. Source: alaniamil.org

Russia Will Help Abkhazia with RUB 22 Billion

On November 10, 2022, the Russian government supported the ratification of an agreement between Russia and the de facto Republic of Abkhazia promoting the implementation of the state program for the socio-economic development of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia for 2022-2025. The Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Maxim Reshetnikov, presented the federal law on the ratification of the agreement to the government. According to Reshetnikov, one of the main conditions for the implementation of the program is the harmonization of the legislations of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia and Russia. He also said that a law on the protection of investors should be timely adopted which the de facto parliament of Abkhazia will shortly review.

In total, the 3-year program includes more than RUB 22 billion. Part of the funds, in the amount of RUB 15.4 billion will be allocated from the Russian budget, the remaining RUB 6.7 billion – from the reserve fund.

De Facto Minister of Health of Abkhazia Met with the Deputy Minister of Health of Russia

During his working visit to Moscow, the Minister of Health of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, Eduard Butba, met with the Deputy Minister of Health of Russia, Viktor Fisenko. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation in various fields of healthcare. Butba thanked the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Health and the Republic of Bashkortostan for dispatching doctors to the Sokhumi Hospital of Infectious Disease during the holiday season.

Abkhazia Receives Electricity from Russia

Due to the energy crisis, the de facto republic receives electricity from Russia from November 22. Prior to that, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister, Kristina Ozgan, held talks at the Ministry of Energy of Russia in Moscow. The cause of the crisis is the drop in the water level in the Enguri HPP reservoir and the damage to the Achigvara transmission line.

Russia's “Soft Power”

  • According to Inal Gablia, the Minister of Education of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, more than 34,000 textbooks were received for the 10th and 11th grade students. The books were donated with the support of the Russian government and the Russian Ministry of Education. Gablia thanked the Russian World Foundation for supporting the project.

Transfer of Books. Source: apsnypress.info

  • The “Embassy” of Russia in the de facto republic of the Tskhinvali region and the Federal Agency for CIS States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Affairs (Russian House) handed over 1000 textbooks to the Cadet School in Tskhinvali.