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Abkhazia’s opposition sets up groups to defend seized government complex

Representatives of Abkhazia’s opposition and public organizations have set up a coordination headquarters to hold talks with the republic's authorities

SUKHUM, November 15. /TASS/. Representatives of Abkhazia’s opposition who stormed the government complex have formed lists of groups to guard and defend the occupied buildings, a TASS correspondent reported.

"The tasks of the group will be determined. We will not surrender," one of the opposition representatives said.

Representatives of Abkhazia’s opposition and public organizations have set up a coordination headquarters to hold talks with the republic's authorities. According to headquarters spokesperson Eshsou Kakalia, the activists used Parliament Speaker Lash Shuba to send resignation demands to President Aslan Bzhania. The president took a pause to consider the demand, the spokesperson said.

On November 15, Abkhazia’s parliament was to consider the ratification of the agreement with Russia on the implementation of investment projects by Russian legal entities on the territory of the republic. The opposition announced a protest rally and called on the residents of Abkhazia to take an active part in it, as they consider the agreement a threat to the economic sovereignty of the country.

The parliament canceled its session because the deputies could not approve its agenda. The opposition disagreed and demanded that the parliament be reconvened to consider the issue in its entirety.

Several hundred people protested in front of the parliament. They then managed to surround the entire complex of government buildings. Abkhazia's Security Council described the situation as tense.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia, without interfering in the internal processes in Abkhazia. Moscow expects the situation to be resolved exclusively by peaceful political means, she added. The Foreign Ministry advised Russians not to travel to Abkhazia.

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