Even though foreigners are not allowed to own property or real estate in separatist Abkhazia, influential Russian billionaire Alexander Tkachev said that purchased land for the development of a hotel complex. As a result, both the government and the investor were forced to give explanations.

The cost of a new hotel complex in Abkhazia according to Alexander Tkachev, former governor of the Krasnodar Oblast, is approximately 270 million dollars.

Tkachev stated that he purchased 45 hectares of property in Pitsunda for the hotel project. The land is not for sale or purchase in Abkhazia, according to the law.

The idea for the Moscow Resort hotel complex was presented in the presence of Abkhazia's de-facto President, Aslan Bzhania, and the republic's whole leadership.

Speaking to the audience, Alexander Tkachev emphasised that his business "acquired, bought" 45 hectares of land in Pitsunda for the project's implementation.

The de-facto Abkhazian administration had to make excuses the next day. According to Beslan Kubrava, chairman of the State Committee for State Property and Privatisation, property is not an object of sale and purchase under current legislation, therefore no one in Pitsunda sold land to Tkachev; instead, it was transferred to him as a kind of rent.

The founders of the Moscow Resort hotel complex did not wait for things to calm down and launched a public plea.

"Words from A.N. Tkachev's speech have been misinterpreted and taken out of context," the appeal's writers claim. "The corporation was given a lease on the property parcel for the Moscow Resort project."

Earlier, according to Chernomorenergo, the corporation in charge of power distribution in the area, Abkhazia got electricity from Russia in two flows to offset the gap during the winter season. On December 18 and 21, Russia sent energy to Abkhazia as a kind of help, according to the firm. The amount of power received was not disclosed. Separatist Abkhazia has now cancelled the rolling outages program, except for limitations related to electrical network overload, according to the same article.

The region will be entirely powered by Russian energy, except for the Shesheleti 1 and Shesheleti 2 overhead lines, which will continue to be powered by the Enguri and Vardnili HPPs, according to Chernomorenergo.

Moreover, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that “not entirely legitimate processes” are taking place regarding the property of Russian citizens in Georgian breakaway of Abkhazia. Lavrov’s remarks at the press conference came a day after his meeting with recently appointed Abkhaz “foreign minister” Inal Ardzinba in Sochi.

The top Russian diplomat also spoke of cases of Russian tourists experiencing “unpleasant situations,” as well as Russian entrepreneurs facing unresolved issues in the occupied region.

“The Abkhaz colleagues understand the need to step up their actions in all these areas,” Lavrov asserted, adding “this applies to criminal manifestations against our tourists and the property of Russian citizens” in Abkhazia. According to Lavrov, Ardzinba assured the Russian side that Abkhaz leadership “will do everything so that all these issues are closed.”