The de facto President of Abkhazia visited Moscow seeking Russian support to overcome the economic crisis in Abkhazia as a result of the new coronavirus pandemic. A surprise combat readiness check was carried out in the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation. Maneuvering exercises have been launched as part of large-scale exercises – Kavkaz-20. After a long break, a delegation of Russian government officials visited Abkhazia. This article provides an overview of these aforementioned main events that took place in connection with the Kremlin’s policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region in July 2020.

Main Events in Brief:                                                                                                                                       

• Referendum:  A referendum on reforms to the Russian constitution was held in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region.
• Visit of the Russian delegation:  After a long break, a delegation of Russian government officials visited Abkhazia.
• Meeting with the Russian “ambassador:” The de facto vice president of Abkhazia discussed important issues with the “ambassador” of the Russian Federation to Abkhazia.
• Visit to Russia:  The de facto president of Abkhazia paid a working visit to Moscow.
• Military exercises:  A military unit surprise combat readiness check was carried out in the Southern Military District.
• Coordination of foreign policy:  The de facto president of Abkhazia met with the Russian “ambassador” to Abkhazia to discuss bilateral relations.
• Cooperation in the field of the economy:  According to the data of the first half of 2020, Russia maintains the status of Abkhazia’s main trade partner.
• Cooperation in the field of healthcare:  Russian specialists will check the start of tourist season in Abkhazia.
• “Soft power:” The Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness was celebrated in Abkhazia.

Referendum

A referendum on constitutional reforms was held in Russia on July 1. Russian citizens residing in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region on a permanent or a temporary basis also took part in the referendum. In total, 9,143 people voted in the Tskhinvali Region with 87% supporting the reforms and 8,306 people voted in Abkhazia with 66.75% supporting the reforms. In Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, de facto government authorities with Russian citizenship voted as well. Among them were the de facto presidents - Aslan Bzhania and Anatoly Bibilov. Reforms will allow the incumbent President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to run again in the 2024 presidential elections.

Visit of Russian Government Officials

A delegation of Russian government officials visited Abkhazia after a long break. Due to the pandemic, representatives of Russian state agencies were not able to visit the occupied regions of Georgia for months. The first working visit during the pandemic started on July 28. The de facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Aleksander Ankvab, met with the Abkhazian-Russian working group. The working group was comprised of representatives of Russian state agencies. The group was chaired by Aleksey Sukhov, Director of the Department for Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development. This was Sukhov's first visit to Abkhazia in his new role. After the abolition of the Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development is overseeing the implementation of investment programs for 2020-2022 in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. Sukhov seems to be one of the leading figures in this direction. The working group visited the construction of the most important facilities under the investment program.

Meeting with Russian Government Officials

On July 30, 2020, the de facto Vice President of Abkhazia, Badra Gunba, met with the "ambassador" of the Russian Federation to Abkhazia, Aleksey Dvinianin, to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation. The main topics of discussion were granting de facto citizenship of Abkhazia to the Russian citizens and protecting their property rights in Abkhazia. Russia has long urged the de facto government of Abkhazia to resolve these issues but the Abkhaz side is wary of further increasing Russia's influence in Abkhazia and promises Russia a solution to citizenship and property issues although within an uncertain future.

Visit to Russia

On July 30, 2020, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, paid a working visit to Moscow. This is Aslan Bzhania’s third visit to Russia during his tenure as "president." Like previous visits, these visit details are also unknown. Most likely, the purpose of Bzhania's visit to Moscow was to ask for support to overcome the economic crisis in Abkhazia caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The transfer of funds promised by Russia to Abkhazia is also being delayed as well as the payment of salaries and pensions.

Military Exercises

On July 17, 2020, by order of the president of Russia, a military unit surprise complex check for combat readiness were launched in the Southern Military District, including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The check finished on July 21. The Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, personally observed ongoing exercises in the district.

In addition, as part of the preparation for large-scale exercises – Kavkaz-20, maneuvering exercises were launched at the military bases of the Military District, including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. More than 5,000 servicemen are participating in bilateral tactical exercises across the district.

Military exercises at the 7th military base in Abkhazia

• More than 800 military servicemen of the military base have successfully passed the exams in combat training.
• Military servicemen carried out bilateral tactical exercises at the Nagvalou and Tsebelda military training grounds. Representatives of the de facto armed forces of Abkhazia also took part in the one-week exercises. The de facto president of Abkhazia attended the exercises.
• Motorized infantry destroyed a training camp of a conditional enemy.
• Snipers carried out combat shootings with various weapons.
• A reconnaissance unit, together with representatives of the de facto Ministry of Defense of Abkhazia, exercised in the destruction of conditional enemy saboteurs in mountainous areas.
• Tank-men underwent an underwater driving course of modern tanks (Т-72Б3) at the Prubdoi military training ground, Volgograd Oblast.
• Communication specialists used a military satellite (Радуга-1М) for establishing communications in the mountains.
• As part of the surprise check for combat readiness:  an electronic warfare unit neutralized offensive drones in coordination with radar stations, tank-men gathered at the alarm signal and passed through the Nagvalou and Tsebelda military training grounds on modern tanks (T-72B3), the maintenance unit practiced the evacuation of damaged combat equipment and anti-aircraft missile units repulsed an air strike by conditional enemy aviation.
• An artillery unit destroyed an equipment convoy of a conditional enemy using multiple rocket launchers.
• Military servicemen started training of service dogs.
• Military servicemen started exercises under the new training system – Koleso.
• Grenade launcher operators started exercises in the mountains as part of field training exercises.
• Communications specialists exercised deployment and establishing communications command points.

Other News from the 7th Military Base

• Military servicemen celebrated the 102nd anniversary of the formation of a military unit at the 7th military base.
• Several thousand military servicemen and their families took part in a referendum on amendments to the Russian constitution.
• Military servicemen of the UAV unit significantly increased the practical use of UAVs during the exercises. Compared to the same period last year, total number of UAV flights increased by 12%.
• As part of the spring 2020 call-up, more than 500 recruits joined the military base. The recruits were called up in June and July from the commissariats of Stavropol and Krasnodar Krai, Volgograd, Moscow, Tyumen and Astrakhan Oblasts.

Military Exercises at the 4th military base in the Tskhinvali Region

• More than 4,000 military servicemen from the Missile Forces and Artillery held a field training exercise in the Southern Military District, including the Tskhinvali Region.
• Military servicemen of the military base and the de facto armed forces of the region carried out bilateral tactical exercises.
• A tactical air landing unit destroyed a combat command center of a conditional enemy as part of the exercises. The tactical exercises were held jointly with representatives of the de facto armed forces of the Tskhinvali Region.
• A reconnaissance unit of the Southern Military District completed a field training exercise at military training grounds in the North and South Caucasus, including the Dzartsemi military training ground in the Tskhinvali Region.
• An artillery unit, together with soldiers of the armed forces of the Tskhinvali Region, destroyed a conditional opponent at the Dzartsemi military training ground as part of tactical exercises.
• As part of a surprise check for combat readiness:  a motorized infantry unit exercised at the Dzartsemi military training ground, communications specialists started tactical-special exercises to establish communications and specialists of a Russian military base dislocated in Armenia also participated in the exercises at the Dzartsemi military training ground.

Coordination of Foreign Policy

On July 24, 2020, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with the Russian “Ambassador” to Abkhazia, Aleksey Dvinianin, and the Envoy of the Russian “embassy,” Maxim Litvinov. The de facto Foreign Minister of Abkhazia, Daur Kove, also attended the meeting where issues of bilateral relations were discussed.

Cooperation in the Field of Economy

The de facto State Customs Committee of Abkhazia published the data of foreign economic activities for the first half of 2020. According to the data, for a six-month period, turnover amounted to RUB 11 billion 691 million as compared to the same period of 2019 when it was RUB 11 billion 698 million. Imports in 2020 amounted to RUB 8 billion 702 million and exports – to RUB 2 billion 989 million. In 2020, Russia maintains the status of the main trade partner of Abkhazia with the largest volume of exports (67%) and imports (67%).

Cooperation in the Field of Healthcare

Situation with the Coronavirus was Discussed in Moscow

In Moscow, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Daur Kove, met with the Head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova. At the meeting, the sides discussed the situation with the new coronavirus and the lifting of temporary sanitary and epidemiological restrictions. After the meeting, the Russian specialists arrived in Abkhazia.

Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Health visited Abkhazia

On July 23, the de facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Aleksander Ankvab, hosted representatives of the Russian Ministry of Health. The aim of the visit was to provide consulting and methodological assistance to Abkhazian medical institutions where patients infected with the coronavirus are being treated. The opening of borders and tourist facilities depended on the Russian delegation’s assessment of the epidemiological situation. According to the conclusion of the Russian specialists on July 31, the Russian Operational Headquarters on the Coronavirus decided to open the de facto border with Abkhazia from August 1. It is noteworthy that in the Tskhinvali Region, the restriction on entry to Russia is effective until August 31.

Russian “Soft Power”

In July 2020, various events were held in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region with the support of the Abkhazian and the Tskhinvali Region representations of the Federal Agency for CIS States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Affairs.

Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness

The Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness was marked in Abkhazia. The day has been celebrated in Russia since 2008.

Peacekeepers’ Day was Marked in the Tskhinvali Region

On July 14, the 28th anniversary of the deployment of joint peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone of the Tskhinvali Region was marked in Tskhinvali. As part of the solemn event, the Stella of Peacekeepers and the Barracks of Peacekeepers were decorated with flowers and wreaths. De facto leaders of the Tskhinvali Region and Russian "ambassador" to the region, Marat Kulakhmetov, participated in the events.

Chess Tournament

• With the support of the Agency's representation, a rapid chess tournament was held in Tskhinvali to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the victory in WWII. Twenty-five chess players participated in the tournament.
• On the occasion of International Chess Day (July 20), a tournament was held in Sokhumi with the support of the Agency’s representation. Sixteen of the strongest chess players from Sokhumi participated in the tournament.