Russian official arrives in occupied Abkhazia amid ongoing “election” preparations

Sergei Kiriyenko, Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, is currently in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region, where he met with Valery Bganba, the so-called acting president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia. This marks Kiriyenko’s first visit to the region since being appointed as the new curator of the Abkhaz direction in the Russian government.

The meeting, which was also attended by Mikhail Shurgalin, the Russian “ambassador” to Abkhazia, focused on discussions regarding the continued partnership between Abkhazia and Russia. According to a statement from the press service of the de facto Abkhaz leader, both officials discussed future cooperation and exchanged souvenirs.

The visit comes as Abkhazia prepares for its upcoming “presidential elections” set for February 15. Analysts are speculating that Barda Gubna, a candidate favored by Moscow, will likely emerge victorious.

Kiriyenko, who was born in Sokhumi in 1962, has had a prominent career in Russian politics. He served as the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation under Boris Yeltsin from 1998 and later led the Rosatom Corporation from 2005 to 2016. Since 2016, he has served as the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation. His recent appointment to oversee Abkhazia’s relations with Russia continues the longstanding ties between Moscow and the occupied region.

Previously, the position of “Curator of Cooperation with Abkhazia and South Ossetia” was held by Alexander Novak, with Marat Khusnullin also having served in this capacity prior to 2022.