On February 20, 2019, the Deputy Minister of North Caucasus Affairs of the Russian Federation, Igor Koshin, who is the curator of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region at the Ministry, held the first meeting of the Inter-Structure Working Group on Investment Cooperation in terms of the Intergovernmental Commission on Social-Economic Cooperation Between Russia and Abkhazia.

According to Koshin’s statement, the aforementioned Working Group was created at the end of 2018. The aim of the Group is to facilitate cooperation between the parties in the field of investment, more specifically, reducing the barriers to cooperation in this field. Various topics were discussed during the meeting:  instituting taxes between Russia and Abkhazia; amendments to Abkhazian legislation, which would simplify registration procedures for Russian investors and employees of the companies founded by Russian capital on the territory of Abkhazia.

Other issues discussed during the meeting also included the realization of banking services for legal entities and individuals, as well as the implementation of infrastructural projects and preliminary results of providing loans to SMEs in Abkhazia. According to Koshin, Russia is helping Abkhazia not only through funds, but methodology as well. Federal Ministries and Structures of the appropriate profile as well as the representatives of the Russian-Abkhazian Business Council and the banking sector also participated in the meeting.