Russia will spend over 25 billion roubles on Abkhazia, including 15 billion to build up Russian military bases and Abkhazia's border facilities.
Russia has found a long-term ally in Abkhazia, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Sukhumi yesterday. During his visit, the two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement on assistance to Abkhazia for its social and economic development in 2010-2011. According to the agreement, Russia will spend 10.9 billion roubles from its budget on Abkhazia's infrastructure, communications, healthcare and transport, said Russian Minister of Regional Development Vladimir Basargin. The money is intended to restore such facilities as the Sochi-Sukhumi railway, which is to be put under Russian Railways (RZhD) management, and the Sukhumi seaport. It will also help build and repair roads, hospitals and schools.
Prior to his visit to Abkhazia, Mr Putin said that Russia would allocate another 15 to 16 billion roubles next year to build Russian military bases in the republic and develop Abkhazia's border facilities. Apart from this, Russia will continue to pay pensions to the republic's residents with Russian citizenship, which will cost Russia about one billion roubles a year. Prime Minister Putin added that Russia had given about 2.5 billion roubles in financial assistance to the republic in 2009.
The funds allocated for military purposes will be used to build bases for air and ground forces in Gudauta and Ochamchira, where the Russian fleet will be stationed, and also to build housing for Russian service members, said Kristian Bzhania, aide to Abkhaz President. In addition, a larger portion of this money will go to building border facilities for the border control service of the Federal Security Service, which works with Abkhaz border guards to secure the republic's borders. This money will also include funds for technical verification and control of the border. According to a source at the Russian Defence Ministry, border services will receive half of the total sum of 15 billion roubles.
The remaining funds will be used to build barracks and housing for service members from the 7th military base, who are temporarily housed in tents erected on an airfield in Gudauta, the source said. There are currently 3,636 people stationed at the Russian military base in Abkhazia, and there are no plans to increase that number, said Anatoly Serdyukov, Russian Defence Minister, in Sukhumi yesterday.
Russian investments in Abkhazia benefit both parties, said Mikhail Alexandrov, head of the Caucasus department at the Institute of CIS Countries: they have already proved their worth from the military and political point of view, and they will have an economic effect in four years. "As compared to Chechnya, Abkhazia is a more attractive partner. It has ports on the Black Sea, and Russia does not have enough of them. Besides, and it's a wonderful tourist destination," he said.
Alexei Nikolsky, Natalia Portyakova