Vitaly Gudin

Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

General Biographical Information

• Vitaly Gudin was born on March 6, 1959, in Moscow, the RSFSR, the Soviet Union.
• In 1982 graduated from the Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School, specialized in Aircraft Manufacturing, with the qualification of mechanical engineer.
• In 1986-1988 served in the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union.
• In 1995 graduated from the Russian Foreign Trade Academy, specialized in International Economic Relations. World Economy, with the qualification of economist with the knowledge of a foreign language.

Professional Career

• In 1982, after graduation, worked as an engineer at the Research Institute of Aviation Automation. After completing his service in the Soviet army, he returned to the Reaserch Institute and worked as an engineer for different categories for years.
• In 1995-1999, worked in commercial structures. He was the chief specialist at the Joint Stock Company Russian-European Trade House AKKOR, the commercial director at Samson LLC.
• In 2000-2004, an expert at the Trade Delegation of the Russian Federation in the United Kingdom.
• In 2004-2012, worked at the Ministry of Economic Development, starting from the position of the head of the division of the Tariff Regulation Department. Later, he was the Deputy Director and then the Director of the Department of State Regulation of Foreign Trade.
• In 2012-2016, the Director of the Department of Customs Tariff and Non-Tariff Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Council.
• In 2016-2017, headed the International Cooperation Coordination Division of the Department of International Cooperation and Public Communications at the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
• In April 2017, returned to the Ministry of Economic Development and headed the Department of Development and Regulation of Foreign Economic Activity.
• From April 16, 2019, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Sakhalin Oblast and the head of Regional Office of the Governor and Government of Sakhalin Oblast in Moscow.
• On September 18, 2020, Gudin returned to the Ministry of Economic Development for the third time. He was appointed the Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development, substituting Aleksey Sukhov. Gudin’s ​​responsibilities comprise monitoring implementation of the ongoing Russian-funded projects in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

Relation with Abkhazia

• On September 2, 2021, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, Kristina Ozgan, met with a delegation of the Russian Federation. The delegation comprised of the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dmitry Volvach, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Yevgeny Grabchak, Gudin and his Deputy Anton Melnik. The guests inspected social and infrastructure facilities which were restored under the Russian investment program. De facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, received the Russian delegation as well.
• On September 13, 2021, Gudin and his Deputy Anton Melnik visited Abkhazia. Implementation of Investment Program was inspected by the Russian delegation. De facto Prime Minister received the Russian delegation as well.
• On November 17, 2021, the de facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, held a working meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Transport of the Russian Federation. The delegation chaired  by Gudin arrived from Moscow. The problematic issues of the current investment program them were discussed in detail, as well as the draft socio-economic development program for 2022-2025 and the prospects for the reconstruction of road and transport infrastructure in the Kodori Gorge. The delegation of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development also inspected the repair works of the Bzyb-220 substation which is one of the three largest substations in Abkhazia. In addition, the delegation assessed the state of transport infrastructure in the Kodori Gorge and set priorities for its further reconstruction. Russian experts have expressed concern over the condition of several bridges and a tunnel leading to the Kodori Gorge.
• On January 31, 2022, de facto Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, Kristina Ozgan met with the Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Volvach. Gudin participated in the meeting. The parties discussed the implementation of a program for the formation of a common social and economic space between Abkhazia and Russia.
• On March 9, 2022, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Volvach. Gudin and Deputy Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry, Anton Melnik participated in the meeting. The parties discussed the issues of economic cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia and talked about the investment program.
• On June 28-29, 2022, the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Dmitry Volvach, visited Sokhumi. On the first day of the visit, Volvach inspected the progress of projects under the Russian funding. Volvach's delegation comprised of Gudin and Anton Melnik, the Deputy Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry.
• On October 4, 2022, the so-called Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, the Vice-Prime Minister, Kristina Ozgan, the so-called former Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, Vladimir Delba, and the Head of the Capital Construction Management, Timur Agrba, met with representatives of the Ministry of Economy of Russia. The Russian delegation was represented by Gudin, his deputy - Anton Melnik, and the Assistant to the Minister of Economy, Mikhail Mukhortov. The Russian “Ambassador,” Mikhail Shurgalin, and the “Embassy” Counselor, Maxim Litvinov, also attended the meeting. The “parties” discussed the socio-economic development of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia under the investment program, the synthesis of the laws of the “countries,” the field of energy and other similar issues.

Relation with the Tskhinvali Region

• On October 2-3, 2020, the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Mikheil Babich, paid two-day working visit to the Tskhinvali region. During the visit, Babic met with the de facto president of the Tskhinvali region, Anatoly Bibilov, and members of the de facto government. His delegation member was Gudin as well.

• On April 26, 2021, the de facto President of the Tskhinvali region, Anatoly Bibilov, held a meeting on socio-economic cooperation with a Russian delegation. The Russian Ministries of Economic Development, Labor, Education and Science, Health and other institutions, represented Russia. The delegation was chaired by Gudin. The implementation of the Russian investment program was discussed at the meeting.

• On August 23, 2021, the issues of socio-economic development of the Tskhinvali region were discussed with a Russian delegation in Tskhinvali. The meeting discussed the issues of the “allocation of financial support for the socio-economic development” of the Tskhinvali region, the implementation of the investment program, and the so-called “harmonization of customs legislation.” The Russian delegation was chaired by Gudin. The delegation comprised of Anton Melnik, the Deputy Director of the Department and Maksim Smirnov, the Head of the Division of Budget Investments and Investment Support to the Republic of South Ossetia of the same Department. On August 24, Russian Delegation inspected ongoing projects in Tskinvali and Kvaisa.

• On October 1, 2021, a delegation of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development chaired by the Deputy Minister, Dmitry Volvach, paid a two-day working visit to the Tskhinvali region. Gudin and his deputy, Anton Melnik, comprised the delegation. The main purpose of the visit was to inspect facilities under the investment program. On the first day of the visit, the Russian delegation together with Ossetian “colleagues” visited the Tskhinvali N 3 public school, whose restoration was completed in September. On the same day, a working meeting on the socio-economic cooperation between Russia and the Tskhinvali region was held with the participation of de facto President, Anatoly Bibilov. The next day, the Russian delegation, together with the de facto Prime Minister of the Tskhinvali region, Gennady Bekoev, visited the South Ossetian State University and a new maternity hospital in Tskhinvali.

• On June 23, 2022, the de facto Prime Minister of the Tskhinvali region, Konstantin Jusoev, hosted a Russian delegation headed by Gudin. Members of the delegation were Anton Melnik, the Deputy Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects, and Maksim Smirnov, the Head of the Division of Budget Investments and Investment Support to the Republic of South Ossetia of the Department for Special Programs and Projects. The meeting discussed the development of the 2020-2022 investment program and the formation of the 2023-2025 investment program.

• On September 16, 2022, a meeting between the de facto government of the Tskhinvali region and a delegation of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia was held in Tskhinvali. The Chairman of the de facto government, Konstantine Jusoev, met with a group of employees of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, chaired by Gudin. Gudin's deputies - Anton Melnik and Yulia Sukhoverkhova also took part in the meeting from the Russian side.

• On January 31, 2023, during his working visit to Moscow, the Chairman of the government of the de facto republic, Konstantine Jusoev, met with the Minister of Agriculture of Russia, Dmitry Patrushev. Gudin participated in the meeting.