Abkhaz Officials Deny Tensions with Ethnic Armenians

Raul Khajimba, the Vice-President of breakaway Abkhazia, has strongly denied speculations that there is tension between the local Armenian community and the authorities, Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress reported on January 24.

?There will be no conflict between Abkhazians and Armenians, which is incited and so desirable to outside[forces],? Apsnipress quoted Khajimba as saying.

Georgian media sources have recently been speculating that there is increasing tension between the Abkhaz authorities and the large community of Armenians in Abkhazia on the eve of March 4 parliamentary elections in the breakaway region.

In press interviews, some Georgian analysts have alleged that tensions are growing from the Armenian community?s desire to increase its current informal quota of three seats in the 35-member Parliament to five.

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