The development of partnership between Abkhazia and the Nizhny Novgorod Region through the eyes of experts

      October 2, 2025 17:25 Politics

      Nizhny Novgorod Region Strengthens Cooperation with Abkhazia. On the eve of the republic’s Victory and Independence Day, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin visited Sukhumi and met with the head of state, Badra Gunba. Various directions of bilateral cooperation, which has already lasted more than 15 years, were discussed at the meeting.

      As part of the visit, the Nizhny Novgorod governor, together with First Deputy Chief of the Presidential Administration of Russia Sergei Kiriyenko and the President of the Republic of Abkhazia Badra Gunba, visited a square in the New District of Sukhumi, the reconstruction of which is being carried out by the administration of Nizhny Novgorod.

      Sukhumi and Nizhny Novgorod are sister cities. The Volga capital hosts the office of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Abkhazia, and there is a direct air route linking the cities. During the visit the governor proposed to the republic’s leadership a number of additional promising areas of cooperation in education, science and tourism, and invited an Abkhazian delegation to take part in the "CIPR-2026" conference. Cooperation between Russian regions and the Republic of Abkhazia has important geopolitical significance and is driven by humanitarian principles.

      At the same time, the partnership between Russia and Abkhazia should have a final goal and a practical result. We suggested that experts reflect on the formulations of goal and result, approaching the process with consideration for the interests of both parties.

      Evgeny Semenov, Deputy Chairman of the Public Chamber of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, head of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of FoRGO, political scientist, Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor:

      "The main goal of the partnership between Russia and Abkhazia rests on one of the fundamental principles of international law, proclaiming the right of peoples to self-determination. This principle is reflected both in the UN Charter and in the work of that organization. This goal equally corresponds to the interests of Abkhazia and Russia. Abkhazia’s strategy is to obtain international recognition as a sovereign state. Russia is at least as interested in that as Abkhazia. The status of a subject of international law opens up huge economic opportunities for Abkhazia, can contribute to its sustainable development, and ensures a rapid improvement in the quality of life of its population."

      Maxim Lubyanoi, Director of the Research Institute for Problems of Social Governance, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences:

      "When talking about the development of the partnership between the Nizhny Novgorod Region and Abkhazia, one must understand that this is an element in solving one of the most important state tasks — expanding geopolitical influence in the region. And, of course, to speak of a full-fledged partnership in the economic, educational or technological sense is a stretch: the Republic of Abkhazia is too small and limited in its capabilities. This looks more like patronage assistance from Russia and specifically from the Nizhny Novgorod Region. It seems the region has been tasked to step up the development of relations with Abkhazia; after all, the region is a leader by many indicators and its authorities can come up with interesting forms of interaction. Moreover, there is a good example of mutually beneficial relationship-building with Belarus."

      Andrey Samsonov, Researcher at the Volga Branch of FNISC RAS, Senior Researcher at the NGO "Research Institute for Problems of Social Governance":

      "The Caucasus and its foothills have long been a territory of intersection and contact (including conflicts) among many cultures. Here converge the interests of geopolitics, geoeconomics and international logistics. At the moment of the USSR’s collapse the Caucasus was one of the first to 'flare up', and events there were the bloodiest. In fact, Russia’s main goal in the region today is to prevent a similar scenario from unfolding not only on its own territory but also along its borders. Only one thing guarantees this — Russia must have more forms of influence in the region, from economic to cultural and sporting, than all the other 'players' combined. More students in Russian universities, more players in Russian clubs, more performances on Russian stages, etc. In this respect Nizhny Novgorod and its region, whose population and level of development far exceed those of Abkhazia, are a good tool for strengthening influence."

      Elena Mozgunova, Historian, Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor at the Nizhny Novgorod Institute of Management — a branch of RANEPA:

      "The development of cooperation between the Nizhny Novgorod region and the Republic of Abkhazia has serious geopolitical significance, contributing to strengthening Russia’s positions in the Caucasus. Through humanitarian initiatives, joint events and projects in education, sports and culture, we are forming interaction based on trust and mutual interest in political and economic spheres, which is especially relevant under Western sanctions. Sukhumi and Nizhny Novgorod are sister cities, and the visit of our delegation was timed to the commemorative date of the Republic’s Victory and Independence Day. Reflecting on the ultimate goals of developing partnership relations between Russia and Abkhazia, I believe the priority is the formation of a common social and economic space, as well as creating a favorable investment climate."

      Andrey Chugunov, Journalist:

      "Gleb Nikitin’s visit to Abkhazia as part of a delegation including First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko, who, as they say, oversees the Black Sea republic, should primarily be seen as pursuing humanitarian goals — more precisely, strengthening 'soft power' influence to achieve Russia’s political objectives in the region. Confirmation of this is that the main public purpose of the visit was the inspection of the site for the future international project 'Abkhazian Frontier' in the village of Adzyubzha, Ochamchira District. The project’s launch, which will combine sports competitions, master classes, concerts and an ethnoprogram introducing the national traditions of Abkhazia, is planned for November 2025. But there are also less obvious 'carrots', namely logistics. In conditions of international sanctions, having friendly seaports (even if only in the Black Sea) is quite an advantage for Nizhny Novgorod exporters and for parallel imports."

      This material was prepared as part of a joint project of NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" and the federal "Expert Club".

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