Russia has suspended payments to teachers, doctors and security forces since September 1, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said at a briefing on September 3. In addition, he said, during the shortage, electricity will be supplied to Abkhazia at a commercial price.
“As of September 1, funding for some payments has been suspended. These relate to doctors, teachers, law enforcement agencies and other things. In addition, there is the issue that from now on the flow of electricity we face every winter will be paid at commercial prices.” – Shamba said.
The corresponding document was received by the Prime Minister of Abkhazia on September 2. Alexander Ankvab.
Shamba also commented on the minutes of the meeting of the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation. Dmitry Kozak and the President of Abkhazia Aslana Bzhaniawhich appeared on social media last week. It refers to the fact that Bzhania allegedly took it upon herself, on September 20, to provide information about members of the Abkhaz parliament and leaders of the Abkhaz opposition who have Russian citizenship, “acting to the detriment of the interests of the Russian Federation and the development of Russian-Abkhaz relations, in order to further consider the issue of depriving them of Russian citizenship.”
“I, the President and the Secretary of the Security Council received a document from opposition parties and public organizations that raised the question of the authenticity of this document. In this regard, yesterday, September 2, we had a meeting at the Foreign Ministry and held a comprehensive discussion,” – said the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Shamba said that the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry had not officially received this protocol, so “it cannot be determined as authentic.”
“The meeting took place on August 19 in the Russian presidential administration, the protocol itself was drawn up on August 26. Our president was no longer present at the signing of this document and cannot confirm it either. The only thing he said was that he did not undertake such obligations and his comment was published on the official website.” – Shamba said.
At the same time, he noted that depriving someone of Russian citizenship is the prerogative of the Russian side.
The Abkhaz Foreign Minister believes that there has been a lot of discontent towards the Abkhaz side recently and that we should “try to somehow correct the situation.”
As TASS reports, the first paragraph of the minutes of the meeting with Kozak, which was posted on social networks, states the need to suspend, from September 1, the transfer of Russian financial assistance to the Republic of Abkhazia until the Abkhaz side fulfills the following obligations: ratify the agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia on the recognition and enforcement of court and arbitration decisions in economic cases; ensure the entry into force of the agreement between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Republic of Abkhazia on the implementation by Russian legal entities of investment projects on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia; remove restrictions imposed on Russian investors in the commercial real estate market of the Republic of Abkhazia (apartments).
