From July 16 to 18, an official visit to the Republic of Abkhazia was made by the Russian delegation led by Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate. The delegation included representatives of the “More Than a Journey program”, the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps, and the Resource Youth Center.
During the visit to the city of Sukhum, the Russian delegation met with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Abkhazia for Youth Affairs and Sports Tarash Khagba.
Dmitry Ivanov noted that this year an unprecedented decision was made to provide an opportunity for representatives of Abkhazia to participate in all youth events on the territory of Russia. By the end of the year, more than 1,200 young people from the republic will take part in them.
Particular attention was paid to creating conditions for the development of youth directly in Abkhazia. The parties discussed the opening of representative offices of Russian youth organizations, as well as the formation of local structures taking into account the experience of Russian NPOs. One of these will be a republican youth organization based on the personnel competition "Team Abkhazia", initiated by President Badr Gunba with the aim of identifying and supporting promising leaders.
The issue of opening a project office of the ANO "WYFD" on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia was separately raised, which should give impetus to the development of Russian-Abkhaz cooperation in the field of youth policy and become a kind of "window" of opportunities for Abkhaz youth, a platform for their integration into Russian projects, youth events on the territory of Russia and various grant competitions.
On July 17, a working meeting of the Russian delegation with representatives of the State Committee of the Republic of Abkhazia for Youth and Sports, the Department for Youth and Sports of the Sukhum City Administration, and the Committee for Youth and Sports of the Gulrpysh District Administration was also held. Russian delegates presented key areas of cooperation, including the development of the student rescue movement in the Republic of Abkhazia, the participation of Abkhaz youth in the All-Russian Competition of Youth Projects and projects of the “More Than a Journey program”.
There was also a meeting of representatives of Russian youth organizations with the youth of Abkhazia. One of the issues discussed was grant support for social initiatives of Abkhaz youth. Dmitry Ivanov emphasized the importance of supporting youth ideas, innovations and projects, confirming that the issue of providing grants to Abkhaz participants is being worked out at the legislative level.
«The visit to Abkhazia was another step in the development of youth cooperation between our countries. We saw proactive, open-minded young people who are genuinely interested in participating in Russian programs. At the same time, they are ready to initiate their own projects. And we will certainly create all the necessary conditions for their self-realization. This includes not only increasing the participation of Abkhaz youth in events held in Russia but also creating opportunities within Abkhazia itself. We are ready to share best practices, expertise, and resources, as well as support our colleagues in establishing their own youth organizations», – commented Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate Dmitry Ivanov.
During the visit, a meeting was also held with the rector of the Abkhaz State University, Aleko Gvaramia. The parties discussed the participation of ASU students in projects and programs of the Russian Federation, and also agreed to place the WYFD project office at the ASU to coordinate joint programs.
The opening of the office will be a new stage in strengthening Russian-Abkhaz cooperation, expanding opportunities for the republic's youth and implementing joint initiatives.
For reference: The World Youth Festival was held from March 1 to 7, 2024, in Sirius in line with the Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in order to develop international youth cooperation. 20 thousand young leaders from 190 countries of the world took part in WYF-2024.
In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis - once every six years, and every 6 years 10 thousand young people from all over the world will gather at the World Youth Festival Forum, between these events, international thematic gatherings for two thousand participants from Russia and abroad will be held under the guidance of the WYF. The first gathering will be held in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the festival heritage, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.
