Political portrait of Oleg Bartsits
A career diplomat with experience working with international organizations, he has been working for about 15 years: in the diplomatic field from 2010 to 2024, Oleg Msasovich served as the head of the Trade Representation of the Republic of Abkhazia in the Russian Federation, and was also the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Cultural and Business Center of the Republic of Abkhazia. He is also a member of the Supreme Council of the World Abaza Congress (WACC) and the Diplomatic Club of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Oleg Msasovich Bartsits, a political scientist who graduated from the Department of Political Science of the Philosophy Faculty of Moscow State University named after Lomonosov and the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In 2025, he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia.
Oleg Msasovich spoke quietly. Talking to him, I realized that he is not someone's creature, and that his political weight is his personal merit. He claims that politics for him is not a way to promote his person as such, but "a way to promote his own views and beliefs." According to him, he is in politics to serve the state. Oleg Bartsits is a consistent and thoughtful politician. First of all, it was noticeable that he is a man of thought, a short phrase, a weighty word. He does not like introductory words, long sentences or statements that do not express anything. These qualities helped him in his work in the diplomatic field. As head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Bartsits today advocates for a multi-vector policy and the active use of foreign policy instruments to recognize our young state by the world community. According to the new minister, the model of a unipolar world is not viable, and the solution to the problems on the agenda of the Republic of Abkhazia is possible only with the use of the resources of the main states of many regions. In this situation, the entry of Abkhazia into global politics and economics as an active, full-fledged "player" is of particular importance.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia noted:
- Today I am a head of the foreign policy department of my country. This is a huge responsibility, I understand that this is a responsibility to my people, country, and any of my actions will be reflected in my state. Therefore, each of my actions, words, steps must be clearly verified. Our ministry has a well-coordinated team. Moreover, the team is young, but this youth in tandem with high professionalism gives good results. My mentors in the diplomatic field were Sokrat Rachevich Dzhindzholiia, Igor Muratovich Akhba, Sergey Mironovich Shamba. They always gave young employees the opportunity to take on a certain responsibility, they played a big role in my development as a diplomat.
Oleg Msasovich believes that relations between Russia and Abkhazia continue to remain in the spotlight, exerting a significant influence on the political situation in the country.
- Russia is a reliable partner of Abkhazia, which always fulfills its obligations in full. Thanks to the alliance treaty with Russia, military and political risks have been removed in Abkhazia. First of all, I would like to emphasize that relations between Russia and Abkhazia have a rich history. Citizens of Russia and Abkhazia, the vast majority of whom are also holders of Russian passports are linked by long-standing fraternal and friendly ties. Russia has officially recognized the state sovereignty of the Republic of Abkhazia, systematically creates conditions for ensuring of the security and defense capability of our country, and also promotes the expansion of international recognition. It is impossible to overestimate the assistance of the Russian Federation in creating of conditions for the sustainable economic development of Abkhazia. Our students receive first-class education in the best Russian universities, and medical institutions accept our citizens in need of treatment.
Currently, active work is underway to harmonize the legislation of the two countries, which covers various areas of joint activity. Particular attention is paid to issues of economic and business interaction. It is quite natural that, given the existing asymmetry, differences in approaches, visions and concerns of various natures may arise.
Our course towards a strategic alliance and deepening partnership with Russia is unshakable and unchangeable. There is no alternative to this. The rich diversity of historical, cultural, economic and simply human ties is the key to the unbreakable friendship between our peoples. Among all the countries of the post-Soviet space, small Abkhazia, along with the Republic of Belarus, fully and unconditionally supported the Russian Federation in its struggle for a just world order.
Today, our soldiers are fighting in the SVO zone, doctors, journalists and volunteers are working. Many Abkhaz volunteers have given their lives for our common future. Residents of Abkhazia collect and send humanitarian aid, food and medicine to the SVO zone. I had the opportunity to see all this with my own eyes while on a humanitarian mission in the SVO zone. The legendary military unit, the international brigade "Pyatnashka", founded by the Abkhaz volunteer Akhra Avidzba, serves as an example of military valor and is known to every resident of Russia.
The Abkhaz people are close and together with Russia in deeds, not in words!
The head of the Foreign Ministry also commented on the Geneva discussions on the situation in Transcaucasia. He emphasized:
- This is the only international platform where Abkhazia is represented today. Our republic has developed a rather skeptical attitude towards the Geneva format for settling the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. This is primarily due to the fact that over the long years of holding the Geneva discussions, there has been no serious progress in a full-scale political settlement. If we assess the prospects of the Geneva process, it should be noted that this format of political settlement is long-term, and we are focused on a specific result here, regardless of how much time it will take. In political terms, the main task of the Abkhaz side is to sign a legally binding Agreement with Georgia on the non- resumption of hostilities. At the same time, we try to soberly assess the prospects for adopting of such an agreement, and we understand that this process is quite complex, painstaking and requires serious efforts from all participants. Discussions are held with the mediation of the largest international structures such as the UN, OSCE, EU, as well as with the mediation of the Russian Federation and the USA. Unfortunately, all other international platforms are completely closed for Abkhazia. This is why it is important for us to continue the work of the Geneva discussions, since this is the only international format where representatives of Abkhazia can directly voice their own position and defend the interests of the republic in the international arena.
- Of course, it is better to conduct a full-fledged political dialogue between our states, - continues Oleg Bartsits. - Whether we like it or not, we are neighbors, and time should lead to the fact that this neighborhood will be built on absolute interstate dialogue. After all, a bad peace is better than a good quarrel. Touching on the issue of the recognition mechanism, the diplomat noted that the painstaking work to expand the list of states that have recognized our independence should not stop for a single day.
"This work will be carried out in all possible directions," said Oleg Bartsits. - The geography of the activities is very broad. It is necessary to actively involve the embassies and representative offices of the republic. Much attention today is paid to establishing and establishing of contacts in various regions of the world. The goal is to convey information about Abkhazia to a foreign addressee, determine positions, outline possible vectors for building relations. To this end, we are identifying specific countries and regions of interest to us. But we also need to do everything so that our country becomes interesting for the country that sees prospects for relations with us. Today, the world has changed. All relations between countries are built on pragmatism. Therefore, we must make our country attractive and interesting in all respects. In order for the recognition process to advance, the work of not only the foreign policy department is necessary, this is the work of the entire country, every citizen of the Republic of Abkhazia. Each of our steps, words, actions form the general background of our state.
Oleg Msasovich Bartsits and his wife Rena have a son Timur, a future diplomat, a graduate of MGIMO, who is currently studying for a master's degree.
When the diplomat asked: "What do you do in your free time?" the answer was: "I work."
So it turns out that his life consists of work. "Otherwise there will be no result," the minister said. "The interests of the country come first. It cannot be done any other way."
Rusudan Bargandzhiya