Abkhaz Parliament suggests amending agreement with Russia

The agreement on the Russian-Abkhazian information and coordination centre (ICC) for law enforcement agencies, ratified today by the Abkhazian Parliament, is proposed to be supplemented. This was reported by Aslan Bzhaniya, the co-chairman of the Bloc of Opposition Forces. Opponents of the ICC called for protests in front of the Abkhazian Parliament; however, no protests took place.

The new body was created to exchange important operational information, interstate search and extradition of persons who fled investigators.

Aslan Bzhaniya believes that the agreement on the ICC needs to be amended to "comply with parity." The point is that any changes in the agreement should be conducted through the Parliament, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The MP believes that the changes will not cause opposition from Russia.

After signing the agreement on the ICC, Aslan Kobakhiya, Abkhazian Minister of Internal Affairs, stated that the document was criticized, but the entire power block of Abkhazia "was funded by Russia since 2009."

"The amendments are needed to calm the society so that people do not think that someone represents other people's interests here," MP Ilya Guniya explained.

According to MP Raul Lolua, the former Abkhazian Minister of Internal Affairs, the agreement on the ICC is ineffective in its present form.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.