Publication: N41 / Review period: May 1-31, 2022
Review of the Kremlin Policy in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The purpose of the publication is to review important developments related to Russia’s policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the Kremlin policy in the occupied regions of Georgia.
New “Ambassador” to Abkhazia
On May 31, 2022, Mikhail Shurgalin was appointed as Russia's third “ambassador” to Abkhazia. For years he worked at the 4th CIS Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the direction of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. Shurgalin replaced Aleksey Dvinianin who abruptly ended his diplomatic mission in Abkhazia on December 15, 2021.
Rossotrudnichestvo’s New Representative in Abkhazia
The Rossotrudnichestvo office in Abkhazia will have a new head - Dmitry Fedotov who will take office on June 6, the Acting Head of the Russian House in Sokhumi, Mikhail Masayev, stated. Previously, Fedotov worked as an advisor to the head of Rossotrudnichestvo. The Rossotrudnichestvo office has been operating in Abkhazia since 2009. Its last head was Vadim Chekha who resigned in the fall of 2021.
“Elections” in Tskhinvali
The second round of the illegitimate presidential elections was held on May 8 in the Tskhinvali region. The leader of the Nykhaz Party, Alan Gagloyev, defeated the de facto president, Anatoly Bibilov. The “elections” were also observed by Russian politicians, who said that the “elections” were held “at the highest level.” Sergei Tsekov, a member of the International Relations Committee of the Russian Federation Council, found no “irregularities and falsifications” during the “elections.”
On the day of Gagloyev's inauguration, May 24, a group of Russian lawmakers visited Tskhinvali, including Farit Mukhametshin, the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council. Igor Maslov, the Head of the Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries of the Presidential Administration, who oversees the direction of the occupied regions of Georgia, also attended the inauguration. According to Maslov, “the past elections have shown that the republic is successfully moving towards state building and the development of civil society. A Russian Senator from North Ossetia, Arsen Padzaev, also attended the ceremony. The Russian Patriarch congratulated Alan Gagloyev on his victory in the “elections.”
Igor Maslov at Gagloyev's Inauguration. Source: cominf.org
Canceled Referendum
Anatoly Bibilov called a referendum on joining Russia on July 17 after losing the illegitimate presidential elections. Reportedly, Gagloyev did not share the idea of holding the referendum given the current developments. Bibilov's decision was considered as a step against Gagloyev. Bibilov's decision was criticized by Russian politicians too. A Russian State Duma member, Konstantin Zatulin, said that “the organizers of the referendum did not answer the question - why Russia needs this process?” According to Zatulin, “Bibilov's actions are not correct. If you lose the election, the referendum should be called by the newly elected president.”
Meeting in the State Duma
On May 25, a Russian-Abkhazian working meeting was held in the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots. In addition to Russian lawmakers, members of the de facto government of Abkhazia, including the de facto Foreign Minister, Inal Ardzinba, attended the meeting. Numerous reprimands were heard from the Russian side.
The Chairman of the Committee, Leonid Kalashnikov, rebuked the Abkhaz side for a new legislative initiative (requiring mandatory knowledge of the Abkhaz language for those wishing to run in the elections and officials), which he said would discriminate the Russian language. The de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia immediately made a statement about the use of the Russian language in Abkhazia.
Kalashnikov also reprimanded the Abkhaz side for the slow pace of adopting a legislation on “foreign agents.” The Law on “foreign agents” is aimed at strengthening control over the activities of international and non-governmental organizations.
Kalashnikov also reprimanded the Abkhaz side for the slow pace of harmonization of Abkhazian and Russian legislation for the creation of a common socio-economic space.
“Dual Citizenship”
On May 19, the Russian State Duma ratified a dual citizenship agreement with the so-called Republic of South Ossetia. According to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrey Rudenko, people living in the Tskhinvali region will be able to obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner, so that they will not have to renounce their “citizenship.” According to Rudenko, the ratification shows “our unwavering line of support for South Ossetia - our closest neighbor.” On May 28, the ratification law was signed by the President of Russia. The agreement was signed on September 20, 2021.
Visit of MPs
On May 13, the de facto parliament of Abkhazia hosted Russian State Duma deputies, Andrei Kartapolov and Oleg Kolesnikov. They are members of a group of deputies for relations with the de facto parliament of Abkhazia in the State Duma. The group is coordinated by Kartapolov, who heads the Defense Committee. He was the Deputy Defense Minister before becoming an MP.
Meeting with MPs. Source: apsnypress.info
Military Exercises
A detailed review of the activities of the Russian Military forces in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region in May 2022 can be found here.
Shamanov's Visit
A Russian State Duma member, Vladimir Shamanov, paid a private visit to Abkhazia. Shamanov visited the Church of St. George in Ilori and met with the head of the Abkhazian Orthodox Church, Besarion Aplia. Shamanov led a military operation to capture the Kodori Gorge during the August 2008 war.
“Abkhazian Forum”
At the initiative of the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, an Abkhazian forum was held in Moscow on May 31. The goal of the forum is to present the socio-economic potential of the de facto republic to Russian audience, to form an attractive investment image of Abkhazia in Russian regions. Konstantin Zatulin, the Senior Vice President of VTB Bank, Alexander Gogolev, a Russian propagandist journalist, Margarita Simonyan, the Goodwill Ambassador of Abkhazia, Nikolai Baskov, addressed the audience at the event.
Cooperation in the Field of Healthcare
The de facto Minister of Health of Abkhazia, Eduard Butba, met with the First Deputy Minister of Health of Russia, Viktor Fisenko. Issues of cooperation in the field of healthcare were discussed at the meeting, including: visit of Russian doctors - pediatric infectious disease specialists, during the holiday season, implementation of the agreement on compulsory medical insurance, high-tech medical care for people living in Abkhazia, assistance in opening emergency medical centers on the central highway.
Russia’s “Soft Power”
Staff of the SOSU (South Ossetian State University) Participated in a Russian Conference
On April 26-27, staff of the Tskhinvali Region “State” University participated in the VI scientific-practical conference - Russia and the World: Dialogues - 2022. One of the representatives of the Tskhinvali region prepared a work on the topic: “Georgia's militarization as a security challenge to South Ossetia;”
Abkhaz Students Won the Russian Olympiad
Students of the Abkhazian “State” University won the Russian Olympiad. The Economics Olympiad was organized by the Russian State University of Finance.
Russists Received 500 New Russian Textbooks
The A. Solzhenitsyn Russian Diaspora House donated 500 Russian books to Russists working in the Tskhinvali region - the Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature and the Department of Russian Language of the State University.
Textbooks Donation. Source: cominf.org
Tskhinvali Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Pioneer Organization
May 19 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of a pioneer organization in the Tskhinvali region. On this day, twenty more students from N5 Public School joined the pioneer organization of the region.