SUKHUM, November 17. /TASS/. Abkhazia’s lawmakers and members of the Public Chamber discussed joint actions to settle the current political crisis in the country, the parliamentary press service said.

Earlier, the coordination council for settling the political crisis, which unites opposition organizations, called on the country’s parliament to undertake responsibility for the country’s future. One of the opposition leaders and th chairman of the committee for defending Abkhazia’s sovereignty, Levan Mikaa, said that parliament may gather for an extraordinary session on November 18.

"A meeting between a group of lawmakers from the People’s Assembly, or Abkhazia’s parliament, led by its speaker Lasha Ashuba and representatives from the working group of the Public Chamber led by Sokrat Dzhindzholia was held on November 17. The participants discussed issues of coordinating joint mediatory efforts to settle the political crisis," the parliamentary press service said.

 

Situation in Abkhazia

 

Abkhazia’s parliament was expected to consider the ratification of the agreement with Russia on the implementation of investment projects in Abkhazia by Russian legal entities, but the session was canceled after the lawmakers failed to agree upon its agenda. The opposition, meanwhile, demanded that the issue be removed from the agenda entirely.

Later, the opposition demanded President Aslan Bzhania resign. However, Bzhania refused to step down and called on people not to yield to provocations.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia had not interfered into Abkhazia’s domestic process and hoped that the situation would be settled peacefully. The ministry warned Russian nationals against trips to Abkhazia. Deputy speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, Konstantin Kosachev, told TASS that Russia supports the constitutional order in the friendly country and stressed that Russia has never supported state coups.