Vakhtang Pipia is the current Chairman of the State Committee for State Property and Privatisation of Abkhazia in the

Government of President Khajimba The Government of President Raul Khajimba was the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia from 2014 until 2020. Composition Formation President Raul Khajimba and Vice President Vitali Gabnia were elected on 24 August 2014 after the resignati ...

, and a former Vice Premier.

Early life career

Pipia was born on 13 October 1960 in

Tkvarcheli Tkvarcheli ( ka, ტყვარჩელი ; ab, Тҟəарчал, ''Tqwarchal''; Ткуарчал (Tkuarchal) russian: Ткварчели, ''Tkvarcheli'') is a town in Abkhazia. It is situated on the river Ghalidzga (Aaldzga) and a railway c ...

. From 1978 until 1983, he studied at the economics faculty of the

Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი ''Ivane Javaxishvi ...

. Between 1983 and 1988, Pipia held various positions in the Tkvarcheli town council and the local branch of the Communist Party. From 1988 until 1990, he attended the higher party school in

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

. In November 1991, he founded the Tkvarcheli branch of the Sukhumi Commercial Bank. During the 1992–1993 with Georgia, he led the rear of the eastern front. In October 1994, he founded the Menatep-Sukhum bank. Between 1997 and 2000, Pipia gained a post-graduate degree from the Russian Presidential Academy of Public Administration.

Political career

In the March 2002 election, Pipia was elected to the 3rd convocation of the

People's Assembly of Abkhazia The People's Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia ( ab, Аҧсны Жәлар Реизара – Апарламент, ka, აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, russi ...

. On 19 February 2004, Pipia became one of fifteen (out of 35) founding members of the opposition faction ''

Unity Unity may refer to: Buildings * Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building * Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper * Unity Buildings, Liverpool, UK; two buildings in England * Unity Chapel, Wyoming, Wisconsin, US; a h ...

'', led by

Daur Tarba Daur Tarba ( ab, Даур Ҭарба, ka, დაურ თარბა) is the current Minister for Agriculture of Abkhazia. In the past, he has also been Chairman of United Abkhazia at a time when it was the ruling party, Vice Premier and head o ...

. On 25 February 2005, following the election of President

Sergei Bagapsh Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh, ka, სერგეი ბაგაფში, russian: Сергей Васильевич Багапш, translit=Sergey Vasilyevich Bagapsh (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as th ...

, Pipia was appointed to his government as Minister for Taxes and Fees, in the cabinet headed by Prime Minister

Alexander Ankvab Aleksandr Zolotinskovich Ankvab ( ; ab, Алықьсандр Золотинска-иԥа Анқәаб, ka, ალექსანდრე ზოლოტინსკის ძე ანქვაბი, russian: Алекса́ндр Золот� ...

. Pipia was re-appointed in the cabinet of

Sergei Shamba Sergei Shamba ( ab, Сергеи Шамба, ka, სერგეი შამბა) is a senior politician from Abkhazia. He is currently a member of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia and Chairman of United Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister of Abk ...

in 2009, following the re-election of Bagapsh. On 30 March 2011, Pipia was appointed Vice Premier, succeeding

who had resigned. Two months later, Bagapsh died, and in October 2011, Pipia was not re-appointed by Ankvab, who succeeded Bagapsh as President. On 30 August 2016, Pipia became part of the

when he was appointed head of the State Committee for State Property and Privatisation in the cabinet of Prime Minister

Beslan Bartsits Beslan Konstantinovich Bartsits (russian: Беслан Константинович Барциц; born 22 July 1978) is a former Prime Minister of Abkhazia, having been appointed by President Raul Khajimba on 5 August 2016 with his term ending 25 A ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pipia, Vakhtang 1960 births Living people Ministers for Taxes and Fees of Abkhazia Vice Premiers of Abkhazia People from Tkvarcheli District 3rd convocation of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia Chairmen of the State Committee for State Property Management and Privatisation of Abkhazia