Mikhail Babich

Former First Deputy Minister of Economic Development

General biographic information

• Mikhail Babich was born on May 28, 1969, in Ryazan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
• In 1990 graduated from the Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications.
• From 1986 to 1995 served in the Soviet State Security Committee and Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation. In 1994-1995 participated in the military conflict ongoing in Chechnya.
• In 1998 graduated from the Moscow Institute of Economics, Management and Law, faculty of Law.
• In 2000 graduated from the State Academy of Management, specialized in Financial Management.
• In 2005 graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, faculty of Training and Qualification Development.
• Babich  is the Candidate of Economic Sciences and from 2012 he is the State Adviser of 1st class of the Russian Federation.

Business activities

• In 1995-1998 – Babich was the Head of „„Antey“ Corporation“ in Moscow. The company ran wholesale trading in textile and clothing.
• From 1998 to 1999 Babich was the Vice President of „Rossmyasomoltorg“. He oversaw food aid distribution sent to the Russian regions from the United States and the European Union. In 2000, the Investigative Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an investigation on embezzlement of 2 billion RUB  from the sale of humanitarian aid. The case was ceased in 2002.

Public service and political career

• In 1999, Babich moved form business to public service. In 1999-2000, was the First Deputy General Director of the „Federal Food Market Regulatory Agency“ under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
• In 2000-2001, he was the First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Moscow Oblast. He oversaw the economic direction. In August 2000, Boris Gromov, Head of the Oblast, dismissed him, however Babich was reinstated in November by a court order, after which he resigned voluntarily.
• In 2001-2002 – Babich was the First Deputy Head of the Ivanovo Oblast Administration.
• From November, 2002 to February 2003, he was the First Deputy to Akhmad Kadirov, Head of the Administration of Chechen Republic, and Chairman of the Government.
• In 2003, for a short period, he was Assistant to the Director of Border Service of the Federal Security Service and then Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade.
• From 2003 to 2011, Babich was the State Duma MP. In 2003 he was elected to the State Duma for Ivanovo Oblast. Babich held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee. In 2007, he was elected to the State Duma of the fifth convocation on the list of the party „United Russia“ and again served as Deputy Chairman of the Défense Committee. In 2011 he was again elected to the State Duma of the sixth convocation on the list of the party „United Russia“.
• From 2011 to 2018, Babich was Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Volga Federal District. In 2016, he was named as a candidate for the post of Russian ambassador to Ukraine, however Kiev refused his candidacy.
• On March 18, 2018, after the presidency of Vladimir Putin, Babich's candidacy for the position of Assistant to the President was discussed at the Presidential Administration. Reportedly Babich was to replace Vladislav Surkov, who oversaw Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. Finally, Surkov resigned in February 2020.
• On August 24, 2018, Russian President appointed Babich as Russian ambassador to Belarus. He was also Special Envoy of the Russian President for trade-economic cooperation with Belarus. During his stay in Belarus, Babich had a tense relationship with the local authorities. The President of Belarus even asked the Russian President to revoke him. Finally, on April 30, 2019, Russian President withdrew Babich from the post.
• On June 15, 2019, Babich was appointed as Deputy Minister of Economic Development, and on September 30, 2019, - the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development. Babich overseed Department of Special Programs and Projects and Department for the Development of Integration Projects and CIS States. The Departments are responsible for relations with Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region as well. Babich was the Deputy Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Committee on socio-economic cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia. 
• On January 20, 2021, by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation,  Babich was appointed as the Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation. The Service controls the export of weapons and the licensing of enterprises of the military-industrial complex. It is a structural unit of the Ministry of Defense. On January 21, by another presidential decree, Babich was promoted to the rank of the Major General.

Relations with Abkhazia 

• On May 12, 2020, in Moscow, representatives of Russia and Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region signed agreement on financial assistance to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The agreement is aimed at Russia to implement budgetary investments in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, support investment activities. Agreement on financial assistance for socio-economic development of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region was also signed. The agreements were signed by Babich and „ambassadors“ of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region to Russia - Igor Akhba and Znaur Gasiev. According to Babich „new bilateral agreements are the steps forward to the development of treaty-legal basis between Russia and the Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia, which will significantly contribute to the development of the republics and increase the living standards of its inhabitants“.
• On June 22-26, 2020, Kristina Ozgan, de facto Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, paid working visit to Moscow. During the visit Ozgan met with the Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov and Babich. At the meeting were discussed the issues of socio-economic cooperation, including implementation of 2020-2022 investment program supporting socio-economic development of Abkhazia.
• On August 20-21, 2020, Babich as the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development, visited Abkhazia for the first time. On August 20, the de facto president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, hosted the guest. Issues of bilateral cooperation and implementation of ongoing and planned projects within the framework of the investment program promoting socio-economic development of Abkhazia were discussed at the meeting. Babich evaluated the state of the energy system and discussed with the Abkhaz side issue of the budget deficit. On the same day, Babich also met with the de facto Prime Minister, Aleksander Ankvab. On the first day of the visit, Babich visited facilities in Gagra and Gudauta districts, construction of which was completed within the framework of the 2017-2019 investment program. On August 21, the second day, Babich visited Tkvarcheli district and Sokhumi. In Tkvarcheli district, Babich called on a central district hospital under construction and the D. Gulia Palace of Culture, which was restored in 2014. In Sokhumi, Babich familiarized himself with the progress of the preferential lending program for small and medium-sized businesses, visited the hotel complex under construction - Sukhumskaya Riviera, and the S. Chanba Abkhaz State Drama Theater and F. Iskander State Russian Drama Theater, both restored in 2014 with the support of Russia. 
• On September 9, 2020, in Moscow, the de facto leaders of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, Aslan Bzhania and Anatoly Bibilov, met with Dmitry Kozak, the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration. The meeting was attended by Babich as well. The following issues were discussed at the meeting: salary increase for public and budgetary institutions servants by 2021, implementation of investment programs promoting socio-economic development of the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia, cooperation in direction of exchange programs in the field of education and culture.
• 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. Babich and the Head of the Directorate for Cross Border Cooperation in the Presidential Administration, Aleksey Filatov, attended the meeting.

Relations with the Tskhinvali Region

• On February 15, 2006, delegation of the Russian State Duma visited the Tskhinvali Region to get acquainted with the situation and the activities of the peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone. Babich was the delegation head. As Babich stated during the visit – „the current format of the peacekeeping operation is necessary to resolve Georgian-Ossetian conflict. The peacekeeping forces accomplish the tasks they have been assigned, including non-resumption of fire, prevention of bloodshed and separatism.“ In order to clarify the situation in the conflict zone, the Babich delegation also visited Tbilisi on February 14, where they met with representatives of the Georgian government and parliament. According to Babich, at the meeting held in the Parliament, the Georgian colleagues presented proposals on increasing the efficiency of the Russian peacekeepers located in the Tskhinvali Region.
• In June 2009, Babich criticized ongoing reforms in the Russian army and navy. Stating that the radical reduction of the number of professional officers in the Armed Forces was one of the main mistakes of the Ministry of Defense. According to him, he was concerned that 80% of staff at the 4th military base deployed in the Tskhinvali Region were recruits.
• On May 12, 2020, in Moscow, representatives of Russia and Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region signed agreement on financial assistance to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The agreement is aimed at Russia to implement budgetary investments in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region, support investment activities. Agreement on financial assistance for socio-economic development of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region was also signed. The agreements were signed by Babich and „ambassadors“ of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region to Russia - Igor Akhba and Znaur Gasiev. According to Babich „new bilateral agreements are the steps forward to the development of treaty-legal basis between Russia and the Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia, which will significantly contribute to the development of the republics and increase the living standards of its inhabitants“.
• On September 8, 2020, in Moscow, the de facto leaders of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, Aslan Bzhania and Anatoly Bibilov, met with Dmitry Kozak, the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration. The meeting was attended by Babich as well. The following issues were discussed at the meeting: salary increase for public and budgetary institutions servants by 2021, implementation of investment programs promoting socio-economic development of the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia, cooperation in direction of exchange programs in the field of education and culture.
• On October 2-3, 2020, Babich paid two-day working visit to the Tskhinvali region. During the visit, Babich met with the de facto president of the Tskhinvali region, Anatoly Bibilov, and members of the de facto government. He also visited the implemented and ongoing projects financed by Russia. His delegation member was also Vitaly Gudin, the Director of the Department for Special Programs and Projects since September 18, 2020.
• On November 18, 2020, during his visit to Moscow, Anatoly Bibilov, the de facto President of the Tskhinvali region, met with Babich. The meeting focused on problematic issue of cargo clearance at the de facto border between Russia and the Tskhinvali, as residents of the Tskhinvali region face problems at the Russian customs post while goods transportation. Ways to solve the problem were discussed at the meeting.