First Period As Prime Minister
Gennady Gagulia was the first person to fill the post of prime minister which came into existence with the adoption of the Constitution of Abkhazia in 1994. Gagulia was appointed in January 1995.
As prime minister Gagulia had a reputation for being the most strongly pro-Russian of Abkhazia's prime ministers. He steadfastly opposed both reunification with Georgia and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Georgian-Abkhaz border. He has also alluded to the possibility of Abkhazia unifying with Russia.
Gagulia was also heavily involved in negotiations over the future of Abkhazia, choosing to handle negotiations himself, rather than sending envoys, as has generally been the case with other Abkhaz leaders. In this role, he has met with a number of foreign leaders, including the Presidents of Russia Vladimir Putin and of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze.
In 1997, Gagulia resigned from the prime ministership, citing health reasons. In between his two stints as prime minister, Gagulia was the chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Abkhazia. He was also deputy prime minister under Anri Jergenia. When Jergenia was fired on 29 November 2002, Gagulia was appointed prime minister for the second time.
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