MOSCOW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Protesters in Georgia's Russia-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia declined on Saturday to leave the parliament building which they stormed the previous day, a departure proposed by the region's president as a condition for resigning.
Protesters had occupied the parliament in protest at an investment agreement between the Black Sea region and Moscow.
Russian news agency RIA reported that President Aslan Bzhania had said on Saturday he would resign and hold a snap election once protesters vacated the parliament in Abkhazia's capital Sukhumi, and proposed a vice-president as interim head of state.
"When they leave the building, I will write my resignation letter and in the new election we'll see how much support they get," RIA cited Bzhania as saying.
He said he planned to run in that election.
Bzhania, quoted by Russian news agencies, later told a government meeting held in his native coastal village of Tamysh, that order would be restored. He said protesters only controlled the parliament and government buildings they had occupied.
"The situation will stabilise, everything will return to a legal framework," RIA news agency quoted him as saying. "We have a president, we have laws. We have a homeland that we all must serve."
Abkhazia's interior ministry and security service issued statements saying they would obey orders from the president.
Protesters said in a statement that the occupation was not against Abkhazia's close ties with Russia, but accused Bzhania of "trying to use these relations for his own selfish interests (and) manipulating them for the sake of strengthening his regime".
TASS news agency quoted a representative of the protesters, Adgur Ardzinba, as saying they would remain in place until the president resigned.
Moscow said on Friday it was following the "crisis situation" with concern and urged Russian citizens to avoid travel to Abkhazia.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent states in 2008 after defeating Georgia in a five-day war. It maintains military bases in both regions and props up their economies.
Most of the world recognises Abkhazia as part of Georgia, from which it broke away during wars in the early 1990s.
The European Commission has added Russia to its list of “high-risk” countries, citing significant shortcomings in the nation’s anti-money launde...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that phase two of his Gaza plan is “going to happen pretty soon,” but did not provide a specific tim...
The European Commission has proposed a $105B support package for Ukraine for 2026–2027, combining joint EU borrowing with proceeds from frozen Russi...
Vilnius Airport in Lithuania suspended operations on Wednesday after suspected balloons were spotted in its airspace, marking the latest in a series o...
The Donbas region, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been at the center of the Russia–Ukraine conflict since 2014. Today, it remains a critical ba...
The European Commission has added Russia to its list of “high-risk” countries, citing significant shortcomings in the nation’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that phase two of his Gaza plan is “going to happen pretty soon,” but did not provide a specific timeline.
The European Commission has proposed a $105B support package for Ukraine for 2026–2027, combining joint EU borrowing with proceeds from frozen Russian assets held in the bloc.
Vilnius Airport in Lithuania suspended operations on Wednesday after suspected balloons were spotted in its airspace, marking the latest in a series of similar incidents near the Belarus border.
A four-part docuseries executive produced by Curtis '50 cent' Jackson and directed by Alexandria Stapleton on Netflix is at the centre of controversy online.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising developments in decades of global research.
As the year comes to an end, a new initiative bringing civil society actors and regional analysts from Armenia and Azerbaijan together is steadily gaining ground.
Uzbekistan has reopened its border with Afghanistan for the first time since 2021, the country’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on Tuesday.
Belgian police have raided the EU’s diplomatic service and the College of Europe as part of a corruption probe into an EU-funded training academy for diplomats, detaining three suspects and searching multiple premises, according to Politico.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that recent attacks on Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea endanger regional safety and commerce, highlighting the expanding reach of the war in Ukraine.
On December 2-3, the second meeting of the Heads of Mapping Institutions of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Baku.
The European Commission’s decision to grant the Black Sea Submarine Cable project the status of a Project of Mutual Interest is more than a technical upgrade—it is a geopolitical message.
Uzbekistan has launched an urgent environmental reform package after recent air-quality data revealed serious pollution problems, particularly in Tashkent
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Republic has closed its security gaps after Israel and U.S. repeatedly bombed the country in June.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment