Publication: N9 / Review Period: June 1-30, 2023

The review is being prepared within the framework of the Roadmap to the Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region project. The purpose of the review is to provide readers with information about main events and trends in the occupied regions of Georgia. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the developments taking place in the occupied regions of Georgia.

Prigozhin's “March of Justice” and Occupied Regions’ Response

Occupied regions responded to the June 23 rebellion in Russia started by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Private Military Company, which the Kremlin assessed as an attempt of coup d'état. On June 24, when Wagner Group fighters were still advancing towards Moscow, the de facto leaders of the occupied regions announced their support to the Russian President Vladimir Putin and tightened security standards along the occupation line.

The de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, issued the following statement: “Regarding the attempted armed insurrection organized by the Wagner Private Military Company, I declare full support for the actions of the President of Russia in establishing law and order.” Bzhania called on Abkhaz fighters in the zone of the special military operation, not to succumb to provocations and not to take part in illegal actions. It is worth noting that Bzhania has been in Moscow since June 20, although no information has been released about his meetings. Later, a telephone conversation took place between Putin and Bzhania.

In Bzhania's absence, on June 24, the de facto Vice President, Badra Gunba, held a meeting with law enforcement agency reps. According to Lev Kvitsinia, the de facto Minister of Emergency Situations, there are no Abkhazians among the Wagner PMC. As a result of the meeting, the law enforcement agencies of the de facto republic transferred to enhanced work regime. Movement along the occupation line was also temporarily restricted.

On June 24, the de facto leader of the Tskhinvali region, Alan Gagloyev, also announced full support to Putin, and called his compatriots who are part of the Wagner PMC not to succumb to provocations and not to provide any support to illegal actions of their leadership. The de facto parliament of the Tskhinvali region also expressed its support for Putin. Later, Putin expressed gratitude to Gagloyev.

As per the decision of the de facto Security Council of the Tskhinvali region, the Perevi-Kardzmani and Odzisi-Mosabruni so-called checkpoints were temporarily closed until June 27.

Prigozhin's rebellion ended on June 24.

Evaluation of the UN Resolution

On June 7, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia. A total of 100 states supported the resolution. Georgia has been submitting the mentioned resolution to the UN General Assembly since 2008. The resolution condemns forced demographic changes in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia, recognizes the right of voluntary, safe, dignified and unhindered return of all internally displaced persons and refugees and their descendants, regardless of ethnicity, to their homes, and stresses the need to respect their property right.

The de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali region commented on the resolution, calling the document one-sided, distorting the reality and used by Georgia as a propaganda move. 

Abkhazia

Ardzinba’s Meetings in Turkey

On June 22, Abkhazia's de facto Foreign Minister, Inal Ardzinba, arrived in Turkey. Interestingly, this was his first visit to Turkey after the appointment as a “minister” on November 17, 2021. Ibrakhim Avidzba, the so-called Plenipotentiary Representative of the de facto republic in Turkey, met him at the Istanbul International Airport. On the same day, Ardzinba visited the so-called Plenipotentiary Representation office of Abkhazia in Turkey and met with the Chairman of the Federation of Abkhaz Cultural Centers in Turkey, Murat Makharia.

Inal Ardzinba's Visit to Turkey

In addition to the Abkhaz diaspora, Ardzinba also met with Russian diplomats and Turkish politicians. In Ankara, he met with the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Aleksey Erkhov, and later, with the Russian Consul General, Andrey Buravov, in Istanbul.

It is noteworthy that Ardzinba also had meetings with representatives of Turkish political circles. On June 22, Ardzinba met with Dogu Perinchek, the Chairman of the Nationalist Motherland Party, who highlighted the importance of the recognition of Abkhazia's independence by Turkey and assured Ardzinba that this will be achieved in the near future through joint efforts. Perinchek's stance is not surprising, he has made similar statements before. Ardzinba's meeting with a member of the Turkish Parliament elected from the Duzce Province, member of the opposition People's Republican Party, Taliz Ozcan, who is of Abkhaz origin, was much more noteworthy.

It should be noted that Ardzinba's meetings were not of an official nature, and he did not meet with the Turkish government or the ruling party. Turkey is a special target of the de facto government’s diplomacy, since there lives a large Abkhaz diaspora population. Therefore, Ardzinba's visit is aimed at gaining support in Turkish political circles.

Foreign Activity

• From May 29 to June 9, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the de facto republic underwent training courses at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• On June 9, Inal Ardzinba took part in the socio-political program - The Great Game, on the Russian propaganda channel - Channel One, with Dmitry Simes, an American political scientist and historian of Soviet origin,
• On June 15, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Ardzinba visited the pavilion of the United Arab Emirates represented at the forum as a guest country. According to Ardzinba, Abkhazia is ready to develop investment and economic cooperation with this country. Despite the fact that this was not a planned meeting and took the form of an interview, the de facto government tries to present similar facts in the context of development of relations with other countries.

Russian Investments and the Sokhumi Airport

Recently, Russia has been active in connection with the reconstruction of the Sokhumi airport. On June 9, Alexander Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government, who supervises the occupied regions of Georgia, visited the de facto republic of Abkhazia. Novak, together with the Minister of Economy of the de facto republic, Kristina Ozgan, visited the Sokhumi airport. On June 16, shortly after the meeting, as part of the St. Petersburg International Forum, the Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Maxim Reshetnikov, and Ozgan signed an agreement “on the restoration of the Ardzinba Sokhumi International Airport.” Reportedly, the Sokhumi airport will be constructed with Russian funds, although it is not yet known who the investor is.

Alexander Novak Visited the Sokhumi Airport

By virtue of the agreement, the Russian side ensures the implementation of the investment project, and the Abkhaz side guarantees protection of the right to the property created within the investment project, tax benefits and the transfer of land. According to the Russian Minister, after the airport is put into operation, the load of the Sochi airport and the Adler checkpoint will be eased.

As per preliminary estimates, the first stage of the reconstruction will cost RUB 6.5 billion and involves the reconstruction of a 2.4-kilometer section of the 3.6-kilometer runway, which will enable the airport to receive passenger (SSJ-100, МС-21) and cargo (ИЛ-76) aircrafts. As planned, at the first stage of the reconstruction, the airport will receive 375.8 thousand passengers annually. The implementation of the second stage is planned after reaching the mark of 1 million passengers per year. The airport is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

The operation of the airport is a vital issue for Bzhania, whose one of pre-election promises was the rehabilitation of the airport which has not been functioning since 1993, after the end of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. The operation of the airport will bring economic as well as political benefits to the de facto government.

Apartments Issue

The issue of the so-called apartments is still acute in Abkazia. On June 21, a closed session was held in the Committee of State and Legal Policy in the de facto parliament. “Deputies” were acquainted with a package of documents on apart-hotels and apartments which Bzhania sent to the de facto parliament on June 15.

The initiative of apart-hotels and apartments is strongly criticized by Bzhania’s opposition and part of the society. As per their assessment, the sale of Abkhaz lands and the settlement of foreigners will lead to the assimilation of the locals and a demographic change. The estimates show that the construction of up to 30,000 apartments will lead to the settlement of 100,000 foreign citizens in Abkhazia by 2035. Critics of the initiative think that Bzhania is trying to start selling real estate on the territory of Abkhazia through legislative manipulation, which the local “legislation” prohibits.

Personnel Changes

There are significant personnel changes in Abkhazia. On June 13, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Walter Butba, who held this position since December 2021, resigned. In May, Butba was embroiled in a scandal when his remarks regarding opposition speeches were perceived as an insult to the 1992-1993 war veterans. Butba later made a statement which sounded more like an apology.

Butba was replaced by the so-called Chairman of the State Security Service, Robert Kiut who has been working in the so-called State Security Service since 2003, and has been the Chairman of the service since February 2021. Kiut is considered to be close to Bzhania, with whom he worked in the Security Service. Kiut’s deputy, Temur Akhiba, was appointed as the Acting Chairman.

Butba's resignation is probably related to the opposition's activity and rally in May. It seems that Bzhania did not find Butba's actions satisfactory and appointed a more loyal and reliable cadre in his place.

Who is the Owner of the “Samshitovaya Roshcha?”

A June 23 decision of the de facto government on the transfer of the “Smashitovaya Roshcha” boarding house in BIchvinta to the operational management of the so-called State Security Service, also indicates to Bzhania's attitude towards the State Security Service. According to Beslan Kubrava, the Chairman of the State Committee for State Property Management and Privatization, the property of the boarding house was leased to LLC Anakopia for 15 years in 1999. In 2014, the lease was extended to 2039. According to Kubrava, no one canceled the lease agreement, and he hopes that the new landlord and the tenant will develop constructive relations.

Opponents to the decision believe that such a step is taken against the current lessee of the boarding house, because he opposes Bzhania. In addition, Bzhania's critics claim that the de facto president created an additional source of income for his stronghold, the Security Service, by handing over the boarding house.

Tskhinvali Region

Sanctioned “Bank” in Tskhinvali

The International Settlements Bank registered in Tskhinvali, which has been operating since 2015, was included in the 11th package of sanctions imposed by the European Union. According to the document, the “bank” operates in the Russian-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and provides some banking services under the control of the Central Bank of Russia. The “bank” has opened a branch in Luhansk. The “bank” was established to carry out illegal economic activities with the Donbas and Luhansk People's Republics. Through the mediation of the “bank,” the “Republics” purchased fuel, food, construction materials from Russia and sold their own products in Russia.

Humanitarian Aid to Fighters in Donbas

MPs of the de facto parliament delivered humanitarian aid (outfits, food, personal hygiene products) to Melitopol which is temporarily occupied by Russia. The de facto president, Alan Gagloev, also supported the campaign. His predecessor, Anatoly Bibilov, is also active in Donbas. He participates in Russia's military aggression and often releases propaganda videos. In the region, illegitimate parliamentary elections are planned in 2024, and the demonstration of support to Russia will be one of the main issues in the pre-election campaign.

Foreign Activity in Belarus

On June 22, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs, Akhsar Dzhioev, took part in the round table – “Minsk-Brest-Moscow” which took place in Brest, Belarus. The round table was dedicated to the Belarus victims of World War II and genocide. High-ranking officials of Russia and Belarus also took part in the meeting, including the State Secretary of the Union State, Dmitry Mezentsev, and the Chief of Russian Foreign Intelligence, Sergey Naryshkin, who is also the Chairman of the Russian Historical Truth Commission. Although Belarus does not officially recognize the occupied regions, after the start of Russia’s full-scale military aggression in Ukraine, meetings between representatives of the occupied regions and the Belarusian side have become more frequent. This is a sign of the Kremlin's pressure on Minsk, which is manifested by Moscow's demand that Minsk recognize the independence of the occupied regions, which Belarus is avoiding at this stage.

Akhsar Jioev Participates in a Meeting Held in Brest

Military Training for Foreign Threat Prevention

The narrative of opening the “second front” is popular in the Tskhinvali region, which is often mentioned in the context of relations between the West and the Georgian government. In Tskhinvali, they believe that “the collective West is stimulating destructive activities in Georgia.” According to the so-called State Security Committee, “the US and its allies are increasing their efforts to destabilize the internal political situation in Georgia. Using the Georgian pro-Western opposition and pro-Kyiv forces, the West is trying to bring the West-controlled United National Movement to power in Georgia. In case of implementation of the mentioned idea, there is a reason to assume that the next step will be the involvement of Georgia in the conflict with Russia, through opening of the so-called second front.” In order to prevent foreign threats, joint military exercises of the Armed Forces were held in Tskhinvali on June 21.