Aleksey Filatov

Head of the Directorate for Cross Border Cooperation

Professional Career

• Filatov, for years, occupied position of the Chief Consultant at the Directorate for Social-Economic Cooperation with CIS States and the Republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and was responsible for the relations with Tskhinvali Region.
• From October, 2018, following to the Directorate reorganization, Filatov, in the rank of the Deputy Head of the Directorate, was the curator of Donetsk and Lugansk self-proclaimed Republics and together with local de-facto leaders supervised humanitarian and political relations and conducting illegitimate local elections. Filatov replaced Maksim Polyakov on the position of the curator to Ukraine, who, according to existing information, was dismissed due to “ineffective management.“ According to experts Filatov did a good job in regard to working with Tskhinvali Region and was promoted.
• On October 10, 2018, in Moscow, Vladislav Surkov, Assistant to the President of Russia, who was the curator to Ukrainian direction in Kremlin, met with Denis Pushilin, Head of Donetsk self-proclaimed People’s Republic. At the meeting was discussed planned illegitimate elections in de facto Republic and Donbass social problems. Filatov also attended the meeting, who in the rank of the curator of humanitarian and political relations with the separatist republics of Ukraine, met with separatist leader for the first time.
• On April 17, 2019, Filatov, under the Directive of the President of the Russian Federation, was appointed on the position of the Head of the Directorate of the Cross-Border Cooperation. Under the same Directive Oleg Govorun, Head of the Directorate, resigned.

Relations with Abkhazia

• On October 9, 2019, in Abkhazia, inauguration of Raul Khajimba, de facto President, was held. Apart of representatives of local de facto government, representatives of Russia also participated in the solemn ceremony. Among the guests was  Filatov as well. Filatov read congratulatory letter to Khajimba from Vladislav Surkov, Assistant to President.
• On December 18-19, 2019, the representative delegation of the Russian Federation visited Abkhazia. On December 19, the 18th Intergovernmental Session on socio-economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and Abkhazia was held in Sokhumi. The Session chairs were Vitaly Mutko, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation and Valery Bganba, de facto Prime-Minister of Abkhazia. The Russian delegation comprised Sergey Chebotarev, Minister of North Caucasus Affairs of the Russian Federation, his deputy Igor Koshin and Anton Melnik, Director of the Ministry International Cooperation Department. Delegation members from the Presidential Administration were Filatov and Denis Travin, Deputy Head of the Directorate. At the session the committee approved investment program for 2020-2022, promoting socio-economic development of Abkhazia.
• On October 29, 2020, the de facto president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met in Moscow with Dmitry Kozak, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia, overseeing the direction of the occupied regions of Georgia. Bzhania arrived in Moscow on October 26. At the meeting with Kozak, the implementation of the 2020-2022 investment program promoting socio-economic development of Abkhazia was discussed. The Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Mikhail Babich and Filatov attended the meeting.

Relations with Tskhinvali Region

• During the years, before appointing on the position of the Head of the Directorate, in the rank of the Chief Adviser, Filatov was curator to humanitarian issues in Tskhinvali Region and was actively involved in illegitimate Presidential Elections in 2017. Filatov frequently visited Tskhinvali Region as the member of Surkov’s delegation.
• On August 26, 2016, in Tskhinvali, Filatov also attended the ceremony celebrating the 8th  anniversary of Tskhinvali Region independence recognition by the Russian Federation. Filatov conveyed congratulation letter from Surkov to the ceremony participants.
• Surkov and Filatov role was well-defined on April 9, 2017, during the illegitimate Presidential election in Tskhinvali Region, while selecting Presidential candidates at the stage of pre-election campaign:
  • On January 31, 2017, Filatov was also in Tskhinvali to support de facto President Leonid Tibilov. At the meeting, the initiative group announced Tibilov’s candidacy for president. Tibilov was the only one among  6 candidates running for illegitimate election, who was supported by Kremlin representative’s presence.
  • Eduard Kokoity, former de facto President, failed to register as a candidate for illegitimate presidential elections, as he was not permanently residing in Tskhinvali for last 5 years. Kokoity accused Surkov for the decision made by election committee on March 4, 2017. Kokoity called Surkov “crook“, who, in his opinion, was acting “as if was the owner of South Ossetia“. Kokoity blamed Surkov, Govorun and Filatov in acting against him.
• On June 8-9, 2017, Surkov visited Tskhinvali, where discussed the region further integration with Russia. Surkov together with Anatoly Bibilov, de facto President of Tskhinvali Region, inspected ongoing Russia financed projects, including the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church construction in Tskhinvali. During his visit in Tskhinvali Surkov was accompanied  by Filatov.
• On April 19, 2019, the 20th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on social-economic cooperation between Russian Federation and Tskhinvali Region was held in Tskhinvali. The Investment Program supporting social-economic development of Tskhinvali Region for 2020-2022 was approved at the meeting. Vitaly Mutko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, and Erik Pukhayev, de facto Prime Minister of Tskhinvali Region, chaired the meeting. Anatoly Bibilov, de facto President of Tskhinvali Region, Sergey Chebotarev, Minister of North Caucasus Affairs of the Russian Federation, and Filatov, also attended the meeting.
• According to existing information, Filatov visited Tskhinvali to attend illegitimate parliamentary elections planned on June 9, 2019. Filatov’s visit was not officially planned. About Filatov's visit was made known from the photo published on June 7 on Soslan Kokoev’s, de facto advisor to President of Tskhinvali Region, Facebook page, where Filatov was also identified. Purportedly, purpose of Filatov’s visit was illegitimate elections scheduled on June 9. 
• On September 19, 2019, Filatov, together with Denis Travin, his deputy, paid two day working visit to Tskhinvali Region. Filatov participated in the ceremony dedicated to the 29th anniversary of republic declaration by Tskhinvali Region. During the visit Filatov also met with Anatoly Bibilov, de facto President of the Region and visited ongoing constructions under investment program. 
• On February 28, 2020, in Moscow, de facto President of the Tskhinvali Region Anatoly Bibilov met with the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak.  Issues related to construction of backup power lines, modernization of Trans-Caucasian highway and financing of investment program were discussed at the meeting. Russia's Deputy Minister of Economic Development Sergey Chebotarev and Filatov also attended the meeting.