Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, addressed the unrest in occupied Abkhazia, attributing the instability to the presence of an occupying government and dysfunctional institutions in the region.

“Stability is unattainable where institutions are non-existent and an occupying government prevails. It is in our shared interest, as well as that of our Abkhaz fellow citizens, for the entire country to develop within a united Georgia. The well-being of Abkhazia and its residents can only flourish in this context. Grey zones created by occupation regimes, whether in Georgia or elsewhere, are invariably sources of destabilization,” Papuashvili stated.

When responding to allegations that the events in Abkhazia signify an attempt at annexation, Papuashvili refrained from labelling it as such but acknowledged the inherent risks associated with annexation policies.

“I would refrain from characterizing it as an attempt at annexation. We have been discussing this issue for so long that we recognize the risks tied to a shift toward annexation policies regarding other countries,” Papuashvili noted.

The vote on the draft agreement titled “On Preferential Terms for Russian Investments” in the occupied region of Abkhazia, which was scheduled for today, has been postponed. Nevertheless, protesters gathered near the parliament building in opposition to the ratification of the draft law. Reports indicate that tear gas was deployed to disperse the demonstrators.