Russian Parliament Postponed Discussion of Controversial Decree

(Tbilisi. April 8, 2003. Civil Georgia) – The Russian Duma Council, which is the lower chamber of the Parliament, postponed discussion of the draft decree, scheduled for April 9, which expresses protest regarding the US-Georgian military agreement, adopted by the Parliament in late March.

The agreement allows the US government to occupy mutually agreed military facilities in Georgia, poses no threat for Russia.

The draft of the decree calls the Russian government to revise Moscow’s policy towards the Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which seek for “associated membership” in Russia.

At the Parliamentary session today Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said that the reason of postponement was the coincidence of the date of discussion with the 9 April.

On April 9, 1989 Soviet Special Forces dissolved protesters, which demanded Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union in Tbilisi, killing at least 20 people.