Mikhail Shurgalin

“Ambassador” of the Russian Federation to the de facto Republic of Abkhazia 

General Biographical Information

• Mikhail Shurgalin was born on January 6, 1957.
• In 1979, he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• On June 4, 2014, at the Directive of the President of Russian Federation, he was granted the title of an Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Second Class. 
• He speaks English and Swahili.

Diplomatic Career

• Shurgalin has been in the diplomatic service since 1979. Throughout the career, he worked both in the central office of the Ministry and abroad.
• In 1979-1983, he worked in the Embassy of the Soviet Union to Australia.
• In 1987-1990, he worked in the Embassy of the Soviet Union to Tanzania.
• In 1996-2000, he worked in the Russian Embassy to the USA.
• In 2003-2006, he worked in the Representative Office of Russia to NATO in Brussels.
• In 2006-2011, he was the Head of the Department of New Challenges and Threats in the Ministry.
• In 2011-2021, he was the Deputy Director of the 4th CIS Department of the Ministry. The department is responsible for the direction of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia as well as the occupied regions of Georgia since 2008.
• He has been the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs since December 2021.
• On May 31, 2022, at the directive of the President of the Russian Federation, Shurgalin was appointed to the position of the “Ambassador” of Russia to the Republic of Abkhazia.
• He presented “credentials” to the de facto President of Abkhazia on July 21, 2022.

Relations with Abkhazia

• On November 2, 2016, Shurgalin was the first to meet the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Daur Kove, who was visiting Moscow. In terms of his visit, Kove met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov.
• On April 5, 2018, the employees of the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, who were improving their qualifications at the Russian Diplomats’ Academy, met with Shurgalin. The de facto Ambassador of Abkhazia to Russia, Igor Akhba, also attended the meeting.
• On September 25, 2018, the Vice Prime Minister of Russia, Vitaly Mutko, met with the newly appointed de facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Valeri Bganba, in Moscow. Shurgalin also participated in the meeting. The participants of the meeting discussed the issues of social-economic development, namely the issues of the implementation of 2017-2019 investment programs supporting the social-economic development of Abkhazia.
• On December 20, 2021, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov met with the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia, Dmitry Medoev and Inal Ardzinba in Sochi. Meeting was attended by Shurgalin as well.
• On July 13, 2022, the de facto Foreign Minister of Abkhazia, Inal Ardzinba, received Shurgalin. Shurgalin handed over credentials to Ardzinba. The meeting discussed current issues of bilateral relations.
• On July 21, 2022, Shurgalin, presented the credentials to the de facto President Aslan Bzhania. The solemn event was held at the “President's” residence.
• On August 26, 2022, Shurgalin gave an interview to „РИА Новости“.
• On October 3, 2022, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with  Shurgalin. The parties talked about deepening cooperation, future initiatives and issues related to bilateral cooperation.
• On October 14, 2022, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, held a meeting with the former Chairman of the Russian government and currently the President of the Russian Book Union, Sergei Stepashin. The meeting discussed the current humanitarian cooperation between the “parties” and means of developing these relations. Shurgalin was also present at the meeting.
• On October 14, 2022, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with Shurgalin. The meeting discussed the mutual cooperation between the two “states” and the coordinated work of special services in the military field. The acting Commander of Russia's 7th military base, Ivan Grebenkin, and the Head of the Border Division of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in the de facto republic of Abkhazia, Andrei Kudimov, also participated in the meeting.
• On March 20, 2023, de facto President, Aslan Bzhania, met with Shurgalin. The meeting discussed ongoing political developments in the world, challenges and the issue of bilateral cooperation. Maxim Litvinov, the “Embassy” Counselor, also attended the meeting.
• On September 3, 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, met with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, and the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs, Inal Ardzinba, in Sochi. After the Bzhania-Lavrov meeting, Lavrov and Ardzinba signed a plan of consultations between diplomatic agencies for 2024-2025. Denis Gonchar, the Head of the 4th CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, his deputy, Alexey Sinegubov, and Shurgalin also participated in the meeting from the Russian side.

• On June 13, 2024, in Sokhumi, the Prime Minister of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, met with the Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dmitry Volvach, who supervises the direction of the occupied regions. Members of the Abkhaz-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Socio-Economic Cooperation and representatives of the Russian Ministries of Economic Development, Energy, Transport, Health, Labor and Education participated in the working meeting as well as Shurgalin, and the trade representative of Russia in Abkhazia, Zalina Kobesova. The meeting discussed the program of formation of a common social and economic space, and the progress of the investment program promoting the socio-economic development and energy issues.

Relations with Tskhinvali Region

• On June 30, 2015, Shurgalin made a statement regarding the Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s signature on the ratification of the Agreement on Alliance and Integration between Russian Federation and Tskhinvali Region. According to Shurgalin’s assessment “the document facilitates the expansion of agreement-based legal relations between Russia and Tskhinvali Region. This base already consists of 83 bilateral documents and relies upon on the so-called grand agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, which was signed on September 17, 2008.” According to Shurgalin “the agreement will facilitate the formation of South Ossetia as a modern, democratic state, strengthening its international positions and ensuring its reliable security as well as its social-economic stature”.
• On October 1, 2015, Shurgalin also attended the event dedicated to the “independence day of the Republic of Abkhazia” held at the “Embassy” of Abkhazia in Russia. Shurgalin delivered a speech at the opening of a diplomatic reception.
• On October 19, 2015, the de facto Ambassador of Tskhinvali Region to Russia, Znaur Gasiev, met with the Director of the 4th CIS Department, Aleksey Pavlovski, Shurgalin and the Head of the Abkhazia and “South Ossetia” Division, Andrei Starkov.
• On November 12, 2015, the leaders of the 4th CIS Department visited the de facto “Embassy” of Tskhinvali Region to Moscow. The de facto Ambassador of Tskhinvali Region to Russia, Znaur Gasiev, met with the Director of the 4th CIS Department, Aleksey Pavlovski, Shurgalin, the Head of the Abkhazia and “South Ossetia” Division, Andrei Starkov and Assistant to Director, Polina Khoreva. Issues regarding bilateral relations were discussed at the meeting.
• On December 20, 2021, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov met with the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia, Dmitry Medoev and Inal Ardzinba in Sochi. Meeting was attended by Shurgalin as well.