SUKHUM, 15 November - Abkhaz President Aslan Bzhania has refused to step down amid unrest in central Sukhumi.
"I'm staying in Abkhazia and I'll continue my work." he told his supporters.
The government also remains in the country and continues its work, Bzhani said. He called on his supporters not to give in to provocations and promised to try to resolve the situation.
The Abkhazian parliament was due to discuss the issue of ratification of an agreement with Russia on the implementation of investment projects in Abkhazia by Russian legal entities, but the session was cancelled after lawmakers failed to agree on an agenda. The opposition, on the other hand, demanded that the issue be removed from the agenda altogether.
Several hundred protesters gathered in front of the parliament building. After a while, they surrounded the entire government complex. The Abkhaz Security Council described the situation as tense.
President of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania stressed the inadmissibility of pressure on legislators and called on citizens to refrain from provocations.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia does not interfere in the internal processes in Abkhazia and hopes for a peaceful resolution of the situation. The ministry warned Russian citizens against travelling to Abkhazia.
TASS / photo: Sergej Fadějčev / gnews.cz-jav
English 
Czech 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
Russian 
Chinese 
German