Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, and other Russian government representatives were in separatist Abkhazia to discuss economic cooperation. A deal has been reached on a plan for the economic growth of Abkhazia from 2022 to 2025. The Russian Deputy Minister met with Alexander Ankvab, the de-facto Abkhaz Prime Minister, and a number of other separatist government officials.
Volvach noted that packages of projects and agreements for the programme of the new investment cycle are being worked through and predicted that the 2022–2025 programme will be signed soon. He promised direct Russian investments on the condition that they would be safe and protected by the law. He also stressed that Abkhazia's economy needed to be modernized.
Until the end of 2025, Russia will continue to fund the wages of the Abkhaz administrative officers. While the Russian Deputy Minister emphasised the value of their salaries in light of the increase in average salaries in the occupied regions, Ankvab issued a warning against the allegedly widespread practise of one individual holding multiple positions in order to accumulate salaries, which he claimed constituted theft of public funds.
Earlier, in June, Caucasus Watch reported that the de-facto Vice-Prime Minister and Economy Minister of Abkhazia, Kristina Ozgan, as part of a business trip to Moscow, met with Yevgeny Grabchak, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, according to the de-facto Abkhazian Minister's press service. The meeting addressed the implementation of the action plan for the installation of electricity metering devices; the pricing of petroleum products; and the modernization of Abkhazia's power grid infrastructure.
The means for financing and implementing the Program for the Social and Economic Development of Abkhazia for 2023–2025 were reviewed at a meeting held at the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Also, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation looked into the request of the government of the de-facto Republic of Abkhazia to lower prices for oil products sent to the breakaway region and to charge prices similar to those in Russia for oil products that Abkhazia needs.
