Baku, Azerbaijan, June 21
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Chairman of Georgian Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze has returned to his country in connection with unexpected events in Tbilisi, said Asaf Hajiyev, secretary general of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PA BSEC), Trend reports on June 21.
He was commenting on departure of Kobakhidze and the Georgian delegation from Baku to Tbilisi. Kobakhidze was on an official visit in Azerbaijan, but had to cancel it.
Hajiyev added that the Georgian delegation on June 20 took part in the opening of the 53rd PA BSEC General Assembly meeting in Baku.
“There is a difficult situation in Georgia, so the Georgian delegation had to urgently return,” he said. “However, this has not affected the work of PABSEC. Several documents were unanimously adopted and the absence of one of the BSEC member countries does not affect this.”
On June 20, several thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the parliament building in the center of Tbilisi, demanding the resignation of the head of the Interior Ministry and the chairman of the parliament. Protesters attempted to storm the building. The police dispersed the rally by using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.
According to Georgian media, several dozens of people were detained. According to the country’s Ministry of Healthcare, more than 70 people were injured, and half of them were law enforcement officers..
The opposition called on the rally participants to resume protests on June 21 evening at 19:00 (GMT +4).