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Abkhazian president inspects facilities on republic’s border with Georgia

During the inspection, the president was accompanied by Vice President Badra Gunba, parliamentary speaker Lasha Ashuba, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shamba, Defense Minister Vladimir Anua, and Chief of the General Staff Vladimir Savchenko

SUKHUM, March 13. /TASS/. Abkhazian President Aslam Bzhania has inspected new engineering structures on the republic’s border with Georgia along the Ingur River, the presidential press service said on Monday.

"During a working trip to the Gali District on the border, the head of state heard Defense Minister Vladimir Anua’s report on the implementation of measures for enhancing the mobilization readiness of personnel and inspected new engineering structures along the Abkhazian-Georgian border," it said.

During the inspection, the president was accompanied by Vice President Badra Gunba, parliamentary speaker Lasha Ashuba, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shamba, Defense Minister Vladimir Anua, and Chief of the General Staff Vladimir Savchenko.

According to earlier reports, the president ordered that law enforcement agencies be put on high alert in light of the situation in neighboring Georgia. Abkhazia’s State Security Service, State Protection Service and Interior Ministry have been conducting drills in the Gali District since March 11. The exercises are geared toward preventing any potential acts of sabotage or terrorism by the enemy in the event of combat operations.

Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Tbilisi on March 7 and 8, after Georgia’s parliament adopted on first reading the Georgian version of a bill on registering foreign agents of influence. Both rallies ended late at night when security forces dispersed the protesters with water cannons and tear gas. More than 130 people were detained over two days of protests. Following the unrest, Georgia’s ruling party, the Georgian Dream, decided on the morning of March 9 to withdraw the bill. On the following day, the parliament voted against the initiative. The so-called American version of the bill, which was registered with the parliament as an alternative to the Georgian one, was recalled before the first reading.

On March 11, the opposition Girchi Party held a rally in front of the parliament building protesting against mandatory conscription into the army.

Commenting on the situation in Tbilisi, Abkhazian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shamba told TASS on Friday that the country was always expecting unpredictable actions on the part of neighboring Georgia, since the two countries have never signed a peace treaty.

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