Dmitry Volvach

Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

General Biographical Information

• Dmitry Volvach was born in 1972.
• In 1996 - graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in physics.
• In 1998 - graduated from the same university with a degree in law.
• In 2001 - graduated from the All-Russia State Tax Academy with a degree in finance and credit.
• Holds the title of the 1st class State Counsellor of the Russian Federation.
• PHD in Law.

Political Career

• 1998-2000 - worked at the N 40 Inter-District Inspectorate of the Ministry of Taxes and Levies of the Russian Federation in Moscow.
• 2000-2005 - held various positions in the Ministry of Taxes and Levies of the Russian Federation.
• 2005-2009 - Head of the Department of the Federal Tax Service, first in the Arkhangelsk region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and then in Stavropol Krai.
• 2009-2010 - Deputy Head of the Department of Informatization of the Federal Tax Service.
• 2010-2011 - Head of the Directorate of the Federal Tax Service in the Pskov region.
• 2011-2019 - headed various departments of the Federal Tax Service: The Department of Transfer Pricing and International Cooperation, then the Department of Standards and International Cooperation, and finally - the Department of International Cooperation and Currency Control.
• 2019 - 2021 - Deputy Head of the Federal Tax Service.
• He has been appointed as the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation since March 16, 2021.

Relations with Abkhazia

• On March 12, 2021, during an online conference, Volvach presented program projects of the Russian Federal Tax Service to representatives of the de facto Ministry of Taxes of Abkhazia and expressed readiness to cooperate with them.
• On September 2, 2021, Volvach paid a working visit to Abkhazia and together with the de facto Minister of Economy, Kristina Ozgan, visited the facilities which were rehabilitated within the framework of the investment program promoting the socio-economic development of Abkhazia. During the visit, he also met with the “president” Aslan Bzhania and discussed issues such as road infrastructure development, railway, airport rehabilitation, electricity, water supply, etc. The parties agreed to continue joint work on the 2022-2025 socio-economic development program. Volvach noted that Russia is ready to expand and strengthen cooperation with Abkhazia.
• On September 23, 2021, Volvach met with the Abkhaz “Minister” of Economy in Moscow. The parties discussed issues related to the Program on Harmonization Legislations of Abkhazia and Russia, as well as the plans of the 2023-2025 investment program promoting the socio-economic development of Abkhazia.
• On January 31, 2022, de facto Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, Kristina Ozgan met with Volvach. Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry, Vitaly 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 Volvach. Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry, Vitaly 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 17, 2022, within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the de facto Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, Kristina Ozgan, met with Volvach.
• On June 28-29, 2022, Volvach visited Sokhumi. On the first day of the visit, he inspected the progress of projects under the Russian funding. On June 28, Volvach met with the de facto President, Aslan Bzhania. On June 29, he met with the de facto Prime Minister, Alexander Ankvab. At the end of the visit, Volvach gave an interview to a local television. Volvach's delegation included the Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry, Vitaliy Gudin, and the Deputy Director of the Department of Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry, Anton Melnik.
• On July 13, 2022, The de facto Minister of Economy of Abkhazia, Kristina Ozgan, met with the Russian Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov and Volvach. At the meeting, the parties talked about the issue of creating a single legal space, discussed “interstate” support programs, restoring air traffic and joint investment projects.
• On July 28, 2022, within the framework of his visit to Moscow, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, Dimitry Kozak. The meeting was attended by Igor Maslov, the Head of the Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries in the Presidential Administration, Maxim Reshetnikov, the Minister of Economic Development and Volvach. At the meeting, the issues of bilateral relations such as restoring air traffic to the de facto republic and the implementation of the 2022-2025 socio-economic development program were discussed.
• On August 2, 2022, the joint working group of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation held a meeting on the implementation of the program for the formation of a single social and economic space. The meeting was attended by the de facto Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy, Kristina Ozgan, and other members of the de facto government. The Russian side was represented by Volvach, and representatives of the Ministries of Justice, Finance and Energy, Labor, Education, Industry and Trade, Federal Tax and Customs Services.
• On February 22, 2023, de facto Prime Minister, Alexander Ankvab, held a meeting with Volvach. The parties discussed issues related to a program of forming a common socio-economic space between Russia and the de facto republic.
• On June 9, 2023, a Russian delegation visited the de facto republic of Abkhazia. The delegation was chaired by Alexander Novak, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian government, who supervises the occupied regions of Georgia. Among the delegation was Volvach.
• On October 17, 2023, a working meeting was held in Moscow on the implementation of the program for the formation of a common social and economic space between Russia and Abkhazia based on the harmonization of the Abkhaz “legislation” with the Russian one. A delegation from Abkhazia was headed by the de facto Vice Prime Minister and the so-called Minister of Economy, Kristina Ozgan, and a Russian delegation – by the Volvach. At the meeting, the parties discussed results of the program implementation as well as its ongoing issues, such as: double taxation, customs regulation, social and banking activities.

Relations with the Tskhinvali Region

• On October 1, 2021, Volvach paid a working visit to the Tskhinvali region and inspected facilities built under the investment program - the Tskhinvali N 3 school, a 75-apartment residential building, the State Drama Theatre, etc. On the same day, the Russian delegation met with the “president” Anatoly Bibilov and other representatives of the de facto government. During the meeting, Volvach noted that economic relations between Russia and the Tskhinvali region were developing dynamically despite the covid restrictions. On the second day of the visit, he visited the State University. Volvach expressed hope for the strengthening of fruitful cooperation with the region in the economic, social and culture spheres, and noted that this cooperation is aimed at improving the living standards of the people of the region.
• On December 3, 2021, in Moscow, Volvach met with the de facto Prime Minister, Gennady Bekoev. The parties discussed financial issues related to the investment program, the progress of the program, its deadlines and plans for 2022-2025.
• On December 17, 2021, Volvach signed a protocol on Amendments to the May 7, 2020 Agreement between the de facto Ministry of Finance of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on the procedure for providing financial assistance for the socio-economic development of the de facto Republic of South Ossetia. The document is aimed at developing the socio-economic cooperation between Russia and the Tskhinvali region.
• On May 24, 2022, Volvach attended an inauguration of a newly elected de facto President of the Tskhinvali region, Alan Gagloyev.
• On April 19, 2023, Volvach visited the de facto republic and met with the de facto President, Alan Gagloyev. The meeting discussed issues and perspectives of socio-economic cooperation. A delegation of the Ministry, under the leadership of Volvach, inspected ongoing works under the Russian-financed investment program, in particular rehabilitation of a bridge over the Liakhvi River and the construction of the Mziugomi camp for 150 children.
• On June 30, 2023, the Russian delegation, including Volvach,  inspected a solid household waste recycling landfill in the de facto republic. The facility was built in 2020. The Russian delegation was accompanied by the de facto President, Alan Gagloyev.
• On September 15, 2023, Volvach and the Deputy Director of the Department for Special Programs and Projects of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Anton Melnik, visited the de facto Republic. During the long visit, Volvach held meetings with representatives of the de facto government and inspected construction and repair works which are ongoing under the investment program developed by Russia to promote the socio-economic development of the occupied regions of Georgia. Volvach also met with the de facto President, Alan Gagloyev, and discussed various issues.