Publication: N21 / Review Period: June 1-30, 2024

The review is being prepared within the framework of the Roadmap to the Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region project. The purpose of the review is to provide readers with information about the main events and trends in the occupied regions of Georgia. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people interested in the developments that take place in the occupied regions of Georgia.

Abkhazia

Meeting in the Russian Presidential Administration

On June 13, in Moscow, the de facto President of the Republic of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with the chief officials of the Russian Presidential Administration - the Head of the administration, Anton Vaino, and his deputy Dmitry Kozak, who supervises the direction of the occupied regions. Bzhania’s press service released a succtinct statement about the meeting with no photos published. The opposition often criticizes Bzhania for his long visits to Russia about which little information is disseminated.

Visit of the Government Official and the Issue of Guides

On June 13, in Sokhumi, the de facto Prime Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, met with the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Dmitry Volvach, who supervises the occupied regions. The meeting discussed issues of a program for the formation of a common socio-economic space, the progress of the implementation of the investment program promoting the socio-economic development, and energy issues. Volvach also got acquainted with ongoing Russian-financed projects as well as chacked the reconstruction of Sokhumi Airport. The airport reconstruction is the most important issue at this stage. Representatives of the de facto government frequently visit the construction site.

Dmitry Volvach at Sokhumi Airport

According to Abkhaz social network reports, during the visit, Volvach demanded the Abkhaz side to change tourism legislation, the change provides for the allocation of quotas for Russian tourist guides. Tourism sector workers of Abkhazia oppose the Russian initiative. They fear that Abkhaz guides will fail to compete with Russian guides. In addition, they accuse Russian guides of insufficient and distorted knowledge of the history and geography of Abkhazia. On June 21, Ankvab held a special meeting on this issue and stated that there are no changes planned in tourism legislation. On June 25, this issue was discussed in the de facto parliament together with representatives of the tourism industry.

On June 23, it was reported that the de facto Minister of Tourism, Teimuraz Khishba (born in 1986, in Tbilisi), resigned on his own accord. However, his application has not yet been signed. Khishba's position on the issue determined such a decision. Seems that Khishba shares the opinion of tourism representatives that the legalization of Russian citizens’s activities in the Abkhaz tourism sector will leave many local tourism sector workers without income. It’s beleived that tourism is an important source of income for the occupied Abkhazia, and despite the strategic alliance with Russia, the de facto government must protect the interests of local residents.

Foreign Activity

• On June 7, Milana Khashba, the Coordinator of the Future of Abkhazia social platform, participated in the opening of the Festival of National Culture which took place in Grodno, Belarus. Belarus is the main target of Abkhaz “diplomacy,“ and representatives of the occupied region are trying to be involved as much as possible in the events taking place in Belarus.
• Syria is the main arena of Abkhaz „diplomatic“ activity. Muhammad Ali, the „Ambassador” of Abkhazia to Syria, is especially active in this regard. In June, he held meetings with the Russian Ambassador to Syria, Alexander Efimov, the Syrian Justice Minister, Ahmad Awad Al-Sayed, and the Syrian Information Minister, Boutros Hallak.
• On June 14, in Potsdam, Wolfgang Matzke, a representative of the so-called Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Abkhazia in Germany, held meetings with politicians, journalists and businessmen from various cities of Germany. Matzke introduced the guests to the investment potential of Abkhazia and paid special attention to the reconstruction of Sokhumi Airport. Matzke is particularly active among representatives of the Chamber. in Germany , he had previously also organized several events related to occupied Abkhazia.

Wolfgang Matzke at the Event in Potsdam

• At the invitation of the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the de facto parliament, Lasha Ashuba, took part in the International Parliamentary Forum of the CIS “Pushkin Readings.” The forum was held on June 18-20, and was also attended by representatives of the Tskhinvali region.

„Constitutional“ Changes

On June 7, discussions started on “constitutional” changes in Abkhazia. The changes will affect the interaction of the legislative and executive agencies and the distribution of powers between them. The initiative belongs to Bzhania. According to the draft, the “Cabinet of Ministers,” as well as the positions of “prime minister” and “vice prime minister” will be abolished. The “President” will have the right to dissolve the “Parliament” and call new “elections.” According to one view, the purpose of the changes is to eliminate the problem of duplication caused by two positions of “president” and “prime minister” in the executive branch. According to another opinion, Bzhania, who plans to participate in the “presidential elections” in 2025, wants to strengthen his own power.

Letter to Patriarch of Russia

On June 4, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta Russian newspaper published an article by Anastasia Koskelo - “Head of the Church of Abkhazia issues an ultimatum to Patriarch Kirill.“ The article reads that “Bessarin Aplia demands from the Russian Orthodox Church a unilateral decision to shelter the believers of the republic and resolve the issue of the canonical structure of the Abkhaz Church.” Aplia also requests the Russian Patriarch to ordain a bishop for Abkhazia and allocate a church for the Abkhaz diaspora in Moscow. On May 27, Aplia told the journalist that he had sent a letter to the Russian Patriarch, however, had not yet received a response. Before sending the letter, Aplia planned to meet with Kirill, but the meeting did not take place.

Aplia is still considered a priest of the Georgian Orthodox Church, however after the war in Abkhazia he no longer had any connection with the Georgian Church. The Orthodox Church of Abkhazia founded by him has the non-canonical status. Aplia had long sought to come under the authority of the Russian Church.

Archimandrite Dorofey Dbar, who founded the Holy Metropolis of Abkhazia, also a non-canonical church, opposes Aplia. Dorofey had previously tried to obtain autocephaly from the Patriarch of Constantinople, but to no avail.

Against the backdrop of contradictions in the Orthodox world, Abkhazia views the possibility of a timely resolution of the issue with skepticism. The Russian Church officially recognizes the occupied regions as the canonical territory of the Georgian Orthodox Church. However, at the same time, the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church is involved in local religious processes.

Why Is Not „Vkusno i Tochka“ Opening in Abkhazia?

As Oleg Paroev, the General Director of the restaurant chain “Vkusno i Tochka,“ stated, they will no longer open a branch in Abkhazia. According to him, „in the international arena, Abkhazia is considered as a territory belonging to Georgia, where McDonald's franchise operates, and we would not like to create a conflict.” The de facto Foreign Ministry did not like the content of Paroev’s statement. He was accused of making an inappropriately loud political statement. The de facto ministry recommended Paroev “to refrain from making incorrect statements about the international legal status of the Republic of Abkhazia.”

McDonald's left Russia in 2022 after the start of its full-scale military aggression in Ukraine. The restaurant chain was acquired by a businessman Alexander Govor, who rebranded the chain and named „Vkusno i Tochka.“

Release of a Georgian Detainee

On June 12, during his speech in the parliament, the Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, Grigol Liluashvili, said that “Abkhazia released (in 2024) a Georgian citizen Asmat Tavadze, arrested in 2022.”

On June 4, a blogger Sarah Chamagua wrote about Tavadze’s release on Abkhaz social networks, according to which an Abkhaz citizen Leila D. participated in her release. According to Abkhaz media reports, Tavadze was arrested for illegal acquisition and storage of drugs in November 2022. While the arrest,“a Georgian passport and state symbols - a flag and a chevron” were also found.

Kristina Takalandze, accused of “espionage,” and Irakli Bebua, “who burned the flag of Abkhazia,” remain in imprisonment in Abkhazia. In April 2024, Kakha Muradov was arrested and “accused of espionage in favor of Georgia.“ In recent years, the fight against “Georgian spies” has intensified in occupied Abkhazia. Sokhumi believes that against the background of the growing conflict between Russia and the West, the Georgian Special Services have become more active in Abkhazia and are trying to influence political processes in the occupied region.

Tskhinvali Region

Illegitimate Parliamentary Elections and the New „Parliament“

On June 9, illegitimate parliamentary elections were held in the occupied Tskhinvali region. In the “Parliament” of the 8th convocation, 34 “deputies” were elected for a 5-year term (pelase see the article for more details about the election results). 

Only four of the seven parties participating in the “elections” overcame the 7% barrier. These parties are: United Ossetia Party (supported by the former de facto president Anatoly Bibilov) - 31.74%, Nykhas Party (supported by the incumbent de facto president Alan Gagloyev ) - 30.59%, People's Party (enjoys the support of a current member of the North Ossetian Parliament and a former famous wrestler, Jambolat Tedeev) - 16.07%, Communist Party - 7.12%. As for the majoritarian “elections,” the Nykhas Party is the absolute favorite.

Based on the results of the „elections,“ factions in the new “parliament” can be distributed as follows: Communist Party – 3, People's Party – 5, United Ossetia – 8 deputies. A total of ten members of the Nykhas Party  became deputies, in addition, other independent candidates have also expressed their readiness to cooperate with Nykhas, thus there may be even more “deputies” in the faction consisting of Nykhas and its allies. This will be enough for the party to get a simple majority. The first session of the “Parliament” was held on June 24. Alan Margiev, a member of Nykhas and former head of Gagloyev’s administration, was elected as the “Speaker.” Zita Besayeva, the leader of the Nykhas Party, became the First Vice-Speaker, and Sergey Kharebov, the Chair of the People’s Party, and Taimuraz Tadtaev, the Chair of the Communist Party, - Vice-Speakers. Seven of the eight members of the United Ossetia Party did not attend the first session. Bibilov’s party accuses Gagloyev of falsifying “election results.”

The results of the illegitimate parliamentary elections are promising for Gagloyev’s political career. Although Gagloyev’s Nykhas Party and its allies will not have a constitutional majority in the “Parliament” at the initial stage, the existing majority will be sufficient to maintain control over the “Parliament” and the internal politics of the occupied region. Moscow's initial reaction indicates that Gagloyev has the Kremlin's support and that he can better prepare for the 2027 „presidential elections.“

Visit to Belarus

On June 20-22, events dedicated to the “Memory of the victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Day of Genocide of the Belarusian People” were held in Belarus. The de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs, Akhsar Jioev, also took part in the events in Brest. Unlike Abkhazia, Tskhinvali region's relations with Belarus are much more passive, however, recently Tskhinvali has been trying to improve the quality of relations with Minsk through participating in various events in Belarus.

Akhsar Jioev in Brest

Representation Office of the Russian Historical Society in Tskhinvali

On June 20, the founding session of the Russian Historical Society was held in Tskhinvali. Sergey Naryshkin, the Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, is the Chairman of the Society. From the Russian side, the Chairman of the Board of the Society, Ruslan Gagkuev, took part in the meeting. „The main tasks of the Society are the formation of an all-Russian historical culture, the fight against falsification of history and the protection of historical truth,“ he said. The representation office will be located in the South Ossetian State University. Gagkuev also met with Gagloyev. The main task of the Society is to popularize useful for Russia narratives about historical processes.

Founding Session of the Representation Office of the Russian Historical Society in Tskhinvali

„Day of the Genocide of the Ossetian People“

On June 20, the 104th anniversary of the Genocide of the Ossetians was marked in the occupied Tskhinvali region. On this day, various events are held in the region. As per the narrative of the de facto government of the occupied region, the Georgian government organized the „genocide of the Ossetian people” in 1920. On July 19, 2019, the de facto Parliament appealed to the Russian authorities with the request to recognize the “genocide.” The de facto Parliament sent the appeal after July 9, 2019, when the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, accused Georgia of the “occupation of Abkhazia” and the “genocide of the Ossetian people” in 1918-1920 (see the documentary about what happened in 1920).

Marking the „Day of the Genocide of the Ossetian People“   

UN General Assembly Adopts a Resolution on Displaced Persons

On June 4, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on „Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia.” The resolution was adopted by a vote of 103 in favor to 9 against with 52 abstentions. It recognizes the right of return of all internally displaced persons and refugees and their decendents, regardless ethnicity, to their homes throughout Georgia, including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. In addition to Russia, Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, Mali, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria and Zimbabwe voted against the resolution.

This year the resolution was supported by 103 countries which is the highest indicator since 2008. Last year the supporters totaled 100 countries. This year, for the first time, the resolution was supported by Armenia, which had previously abstained or voted against it. The change of Yerevan’s position is the result of the deterioration of Armenia’s relations with Russia and an attempt to change its foreign policy vector. South Africa and Argentina joined the resolution for the first time this year. It should be noted that China, which signed with Georgia a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership in 2023, refrained from supporting the resolution.

Georgia has been submitting the resolution to the UN General Assembly since 2008. The resolution condemns forced demographic changes in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia, affirms the right of safe, voluntary and unhindered return of internally displaced persons, regardless of ethnicity, to their homes, and emphasizes the need to respect and protect their property rights. In addition to the humanitarian context, the resolution also has practical significance, since it instructs the UN Secretary-General to prepare an annual report on the situation of the displaced population living in Georgia and the implementation of the resolution.

On June 5, the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia issued a statement about the resolution. As per their assessment, “serious disappointment is caused by the fact that the mentioned resolution is adopted every year without taking into account the opinion and position of the Abkhaz side. The resolution is clearly biased and does not reflect the real situation in the region.” According to the de facto Deputy Minister, Irakli Tuzhba, “unfortunately, the number of countries supporting the resolution is increasing every year, since representatives of many countries have little understanding of the real processes taking place in Abkhazia.”

On June 7, the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali region also made a statement about the resolution. „It is obvious that instead of real efforts to resolve the refugee problem, the counterproductive practice of politicizing this issue continues, during the discussion of which at the UN platform South Ossetia is deprived of the opportunity to present its reasoned point of view,“ the statement reads.

The 61st Meeting in Geneva

The 61st round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on June 25-26. This year it was the second meeting in a row. According to the press communiqué of the Co-Chairs of the GID, the participants exchanged views on the main issues on the discussion agenda, including the non-use of force and international security arrangements. The Co-Chairs reiterated the importance of resuming Gali Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings.

At the meeting, the Georgian delegation focused on the main issues of the agenda of the negotiations. In particular, the need to fulfill the ceasefire agreement signed by Russia on August 12, 2008 through the mediation of the European Union, and the return of internally displaced persons and refugees from the occupied territories to their homes. The Georgian side also expressed concern over the conduct of the so-called elections and condemned the „parliamentary election“ held in the occupied Tskhinvali region on June 9, as well as the Russian presidential elections held in both occupied regions in March of this year.

The Russian side has traditionally emphasized the issue of signing a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force by Georgia, as well as the importance of “beginning the process of delimitation and demarcation of the state border between Georgia-Abkhazia and Georgia-South-Ossetia.“ The June 4 UN resolution was called a “serious irritating factor” hindering constructive work in the humanitarian sphere. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, “the situation on the ground is calm.” Russia, together with representatives of the occupied regions, requested to consider the issue of moving meetings from Geneva. Under the sanctions imposed on Russia, Russian representatives face travel problems, hence Moscow doubts Switzerland's neutrality and asks that meetings be moved from Geneva to another location.

Abkhaz participants have traditionally raised the issue of signing a legally binding agreement on the non-use of force. They also raised the issue of restoring Gali Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings. Gali meetings have been suspended since 2018, after the murder of Giga Otkhozoria. Recently, Sokhumi has been actively demanding the restoration of Gali IPRM meetings. As per their assessment, “Gali meetings are not being held due to the extremely unconstructive position of the Georgian participants.” The Abkhaz side also talked about „finding ways to solve the problem of movement of Abkhaz citizens with Abkhaz passports.“ Residents of the occupied regions cannot travel using their own “passports,” and travel using a Russian passport in the Schengen area and Switzerland was limited after the start of Russia’s full-scale military aggression in Ukraine.

It is noteworthy that on June 20, at a preparatory meeting for the GID round in Moscow, the Acting de facto Foreign Minister, Odyssey Bigvava, met with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Galuzin. He also took part in the 61st round of the GID. Previously, the Second de facto Deputy Minister, Irakli Tuzhba, participated in meetings held under the Geneva format. In May, Tuzhba and his wife were on vacation in the United States, which caused mixed reactions. For some time, after the release of Inal Ardzinba, he was appointed as acting “minister,” but was soon returned to his previous position. Apparently, Tuzhba was not forgiven for spending holiday in the “enemy camp.”

The Tskhinvali region again called on the Georgian side to launch joint work on the so-called border delimitation/demarcation. As at the previous meeting, the Tskhinvali side again talked about “facts of gross violation of the rights of Ossetians born in the Kazbegi municipality, Truso Valley, who have been denied access to their ancestral places by the Georgian government for many years.”

The previous, 60th round took place on April 4-5, 2024. The next 62nd round will take place in December 2024.

BRICS Sports Games and the Occupied Regions

The Russian city of Kazan hosted the BRICS Sports Games. Representatives of the occupied regions also took part in the sporting event. This is the first time when the occupied regions participate in such scale sporting event with their “flag.” Despite the fact that the sporting event was not large-scale and competitive, Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region use such events for propaganda purposes.

Former Tbilisi Dynamo Player (1985-1989) Akhrik Tsveiba with the “Flag” of Abkhazia at the Opening Ceremony