On October 17, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tskhinvali region, Akhsar Jioev, met with the Director of the 4th CIS Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denis Gonchar, who oversees relations with the countries of the South Caucasus. Gonchar also supervises the direction of the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region.

On August 4, 2023, in an interview with the state news agency – TASS, Denis Gonchar, the Director of the 4th CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, spoke about the occupied regions of Georgia. In the Ministry Gonchar supervises the South Caucasus direction, including the occupied regions. Key points expressed in the interview:

In his interview with the state news agency TASS, Denis Gonchar, the Director of the 4th CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, spoke about the de facto republics of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

On September 14, 2022, Denis Gonchar, the Director of the 4th Department of the CIS Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, gave an interview to the Russian news agency – RIA Novosti. Gonchar oversees relations with countries of the South Caucasus as well as the occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. 

On June 20, 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia hosted further consultations on foreign policy coordination following to the Memorandum signed between the Foreign Ministries of Abkhazia and Russia on March 11, 2015.

On April 3, 2019, Russian President signed a decree appointing Aleksey Pavlovski as new Russian ambassador to Australia. From 2006 to 2011 he was the Deputy Director of the 4th CIS Department and Director from July 4, 2011 to April 2019.