OREANDA-NEWS   Russia has frozen financial assistance to Abkhazia due to the republic's refusal to harmonize legislation, Nikolai Silaev, senior researcher at the MGIMO Center for Caucasus and Regional Security Problems, told Ridus.

He explained that Russia and Abkhazia have an agreement on assistance in the implementation of the socio-economic development program, under which Moscow insists that conditions for Russian investors in the republic be the same as for Abkhazian investors in the Russian Federation. In addition, Abkhazia must recognize the decisions of the Russian courts.

"Thirdly, the document assumes cooperation through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other points. Abkhazia does not want to harmonize legislation," the expert noted.

Earlier, on December 9, Acting Prime Minister of Abkhazia Valery Bganba asked Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to resume social payments in the republic. According to him, we are talking about co-financing salaries.

State Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin, in turn, said that payments could be refunded if the Russian-Abkhaz agreements in Sukhum stopped playing out to the detriment of Russia, its image and the plans that were agreed upon.