Igor Akhba

Igor Muratovich Akhba Игор Мурат-иҧа Ахба იგორ ახბა Игорь Муратович Ахба
1st Ambassador of Abkhazia to Russia
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 December 2008
7th Minister for Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia
In office 28 July 2004 – 14 December 2004
Preceded by	Gueorgui Otyrba
Succeeded by	Sergei Shamba
Personal details
Born	5 February 1949 Sukhumi, Abkhazian ASSR, Georgian SSR, USSR

Igor Muratovich Akhba (Abkhaz: Игор Мурат-иҧа Ахба; Georgian: იგორ ახბა; Russian: Игорь Муратович Ахба) (born 5 February 1949), is the current ambassador of the Republic of Abkhazia to the Russian Federation, and a one time Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Early life and career

Akhba with President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev at the ceremony for the presentation of ambassadorial Letters of Credence.

Igor Akhba was born 5 February 1949 in Sukhumi, in what was then the Abkhazian ASSR. In 1972 he graduated from the faculty of law of the Moscow State University. In 1975 Akhba obtained a degree in Public and International Law from the Post-graduate Institute of State and Law of the USSR Academy of Sciences. From 1976 until 1989 Akhba worked as a research fellow with the V. I. Lenin State Library of the USSR. From 1989 until 1992 he was an assistant in the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

Diplomatic and political career

In 1992, Igor Akhba was named presidential plenipotentiary to Russia, a post he has held ever since. On 28 July 2004, Akhba was temporarily appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia by outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba.^[1] On 14 December 2004, shortly after the height of the crisis following the 2004 presidential election, he was replaced by Sergei Shamba and returned to his posting in Moscow.^[2]

On 26 August 2008 the Republic of Abkhazia was formally recognised as independent by the Russian Federation, on 9 September the two states established diplomatic relations and on 14 November Igor Akhba was appointed as the first Abkhazian ambassador to Russia.^[3] On 10 December 2008 he presented his credentials to Grigory Karasin, the State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation,^[4] and presented his Letter of Credence to President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev on 16 January 2009.^[5]

Family

Igor Akhba is married and has a child.^[3]

Sources

• Лакоба, Станислав (2004). "Абхазия после двух империй XIX—XXI вв." // 21st Century COE Program Slavic Eurasian Studies—No. 5. Sapporo: Slavic Research Center, Hokudai University.

References

1. "Ахба Игорь Муратович". Retrieved 13 December 2008.
2. "В Абхазии назначены два вице-премьера правительства". Кавказский узел. 14 December 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
3. "Игорь Ахба назначен Чрезвычайным и Полномочным Послом Абхазии в России". Администрация Президента Республики Абхазия. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
4. "Presentation of Copies of Credentials by the Ambassador of Abkhazia to Russia, Igor Akhba". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia). 10 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
5. Послы иностранных государств, вручившие верительные грамоты Президенту России (in Russian). Presidential Press and Information Office. 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2009-03-07.