Sokhumi Expects Russia’s USD 140mln Aid in 2011

Abkhaz leader, Sergey Bagapsh, said on January 12, that Sokhumi expects to receive 4.23 billion rubles (about USD 140 million) in financial assistance from Russia’s federal budget this year.

Speaking at a meeting with Sergei Stepashin, the head of Russia’s state audit chamber, in Sokhumi, Bagapsh said that the financial aid was part of assistance program for 2010-2012, the Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported.

The meeting, which also involved other Abkhaz and Russian officials, reviewed audit of financial assistance provided to Abkhazia from the Russian federal budget.

“Comprehensive audit carried out by the Russian state audit chamber together with the Abkhaz lawmakers has revealed number of points on which we should pay close attention,” Bagapsh said.

Head of Russia’s State Audit Chamber, Sergei Stepashin, said, according to Apsnipress, that in 2009 Abkhazia received from Russia 4.9 billion rubles (according to current exchange rate about USD 162 million) in financial assistance and 2.3 billion rubles (about USD 76 million) in 2010.

He also said that no major violations in spending of the allocated aid funds have been found as a result of audit.

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