Yevgeny Primakov

Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region

Key Persons

Head of Federal Agency for CIS States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Affairs.

Yevgeny Promakov (Yevgeny Primakov Jr.) was born on April 29, 1976, in Moscow, RSFSR, Soviet Union. His grandfather, also Yevgeny Primakov (1929-2015), was a prominent Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who held high positions during various periods: Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (1991-1996), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1996-1998), Prime Minister (1998-1999). It is known that he had connections with Georgia, where he spent his childhood. His first wife, grandmother of Yevgeni Primakov Jr. was an ethnic Georgian, Laura Kharadze. She died in 1987.
In 1999 he graduated from the Russian State University of Humanities, faculty of History and Philology, with a degree in history.
In 2010, he became one of the founders and CEO of the Russian Humanitarian Mission. The organization aims at assisting people affected by wars and disasters, including the Middle East, Central Asia and the Balkans. He is the Head of the organization supervisory board.

Journalistic career

Yevgeny Primakov has rich journalistic experience. During his journalistic career his pseudonym was Yevgeny Sandro. He took the name Sandro after his father - Alexander Primakov, who died when Yevgeny was five years old.
For a short period Primakov worked as a journalist for radio „Эхо Москвы“, agency „ИТАР-ТАСС“, magazine „Коммерсант-Деньги“.
From 2002, he was a military correspondent for TV channel „ТВС“. He worked in Israel and Iraq.
From 2003, he was an information and military correspondent for TV channel „НТВ“, mainly working in hotspots: Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Iraq.
From 2005 to 2007. He was the Head of the Middle East Bureau on TV channel „НТВ“. He worked in conflict zone and covered the Second Lebanon War and ongoing events in Gaza Strip.
From 2007 to 2011, he was a correspondent of Information Programs Directorate for the „First Channel“. From 2008 to 2011, he was the Head of the „First Channel“ bureau in Israel.
In 2015, he was the author and anchor of the program - „International Review“ on TV channel „Россия-24“
In November, 2017, he became the Secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia.

International career

In 2011-2014, he worked at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 2011-2013 he worked in the Commissioner representation office in Turkey, and in 2013-2014 - in Jordan.

Political career

In 2017-2018, he was a member of the Russian Federation Public Chamber of the 6th convocation by the Russian Presidential quota. At the Chamber Primakov headed Development Committee for information society, media and mass communication.
On May 30, 2017, in the field of international affairs and humanitarian projects, he was appointed Advisor to Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the 7th convocation.
In 2018, during the presidential elections, he was a trustee of the presidential candidate Vladimir Putin.
On September 9, 2018, he was elected a member to the State Duma of the 7th convocation from Saratov Oblast. He was a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs and the ruling political party „United Russia“. On September 25, he was appointed Deputy Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Group of the Russian Federation.
In June, 2019, after the journalist Giorgi Gabunia insulted the Russian President on the Georgian TV channel „Rustavi 2“, Primakov considered necessary to freeze Russian-Georgian relations.
On June 25, 2020, under the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Agency for CIS States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On this post Primakov replaced Eleonora Mitrofanova.

Relations with the Tskhinvali region

On September 30, 2020, in Moscow, the de facto ambassador of the Tskhinvali region to the Russian Federation, Znaur Gasiev, met with Primakov. Issues of bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture were discussed at the meeting, as well as the role of the Federal Agency in the development of humanitarian ties, youth and international scientific cooperation, support for compatriots in the Tskhinvali region.

Relations with Abkhazia

On February 10, 2022, de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Inal Ardzinba, met with Primakov during his visit to Moscow. At the meeting, the parties agreed to intensify joint work, expand support to Abkhaz youth and implement joint information projects. Special attention was paid to the importance of developing ties between Abkhazia and Russia in the field of education. The meeting also discussed the issues of educational opportunities, vocational training and professional development of promising Abkhaz youth in Russian universities.