Russia to increase border troops deployed in Abkhazia, South Ossetia

2009-08-05 22:52:02  

·Russia plans to expand troops it has deployed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. ·By the end of the year there will be 1,500 troops in each of the two regions. ·Ukraine was involved in arm shipments to Georgia prior to the brief war last summer.

    MOSCOW, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia plans to increase the number of troops it has deployed in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from around 1,800 to 3,000 by the end of the year, a deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.

    "Presently, there are some 1,000 Russian military personnel in Abkhazia and up to 800 in South Ossetia," Grigory Karasin said, quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

    He said that by the end of the year there will be 1,500 troops in each region.

    Karasin also said Russia has verified reports that say Ukraine was involved in arm shipments to Georgia prior to the brief war between Georgia and Russia last summer.

    "We do hope that Ukraine, as a state near to us, will stop playing these dangerous games, creating problems in current relations, already problematical," he said.

    Tensions in the border area between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia were heightened days before the first anniversary of Georgia's brief war with Russia in August last year.

    While Georgia accused South Ossetia of shooting at Georgian villages, South Ossetian authorities said the suburbs of its capital of Tskhinvali were attacked by Georgian mortars. No one was hurt in the shootings.

    South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away from Tbilisi's rule during a war in the 1990s that followed the collapse of the former Soviet Union.

    Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last summer, when Georgia attacked South Ossetia to retake the renegade region that borders Russia. In response, Moscow sent in troops to drive Georgian forces out of the region.

    Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict ended.

Russia urges Georgia to ink non-violence agreement

2009-08-07 00:53:21  

    MOSCOW, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) --

Russia insists that Georgia assume a legal obligation on the non-use of force with respect to its breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

    "We insist that Georgia take on the legal obligation on the non-use of force. The obligation should be unconditional, not in relation to Russia, but in relation to the neighboring republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Andrei Nesterenko told a briefing.

    Georgia should sign an agreement which provides clear guarantees for the security of the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia so as to avoid a repeat of last summer's tragedy, he said.

    The spokesman also pledged Russia's continued economic support for the two republics.

    He said Russian troops stationed in the region are ensuring the republics' security and creating the necessary conditions for their development.

    Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Wednesday that Russia plans to increase the number of troops it has deployed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia from around 1,800 to 3,000 by the end of the year.

    Tensions in the border area between Georgia and South Ossetia were heightened before the first anniversary of Georgia's brief war with Russia in August last year. Georgia and South Ossetia have been accusing each other of shooting at the other side. But no one was hurt in the shootings.

    The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday warned of using military force to defend South Ossetia "in case of further provocations threatening the republic's population and the Russian military contingent stationed in South Ossetia."

    South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away from Tbilisi's rule during a war in the 1990s that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

    Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last summer, when Georgia attacked South Ossetia to retake the renegade region that borders Russia. In response, Moscow sent in troops to drive Georgian forces out of the region.

    Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict ended. 

Editor: Mu Xuequan

S Ossetia closes administrative border with Georgia

 2009-08-05 15:28:39  

    TBILISI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) --

Leader of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, announced the closure of the administrative border with Georgia from Tuesday midnight, forbidding any vehicles or passengers to cross over.

    A statement published on the website of South Ossetia's news department said the closure was aimed at "guarding against further provocations from the Georgian side."

    However, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said the closure was due to the threat of the A/H1N1 flu, as 12 Georgians were reported to have been infected.

    Kokoity said on Tuesday that South Ossetia, supported by the Russian troops deployed in the border area, will adopt every measures to safeguard the security of the region.

    Also on Tuesday night, the Russian troops kicked off military exercises in the border area.

    Tensions in the border area between Georgia and South Ossetia were heightened days before the first anniversary of Georgia's brief war with Russia in August last year.

    While Georgia accused South Ossetia of shooting at Georgian villages, South Ossetian authorities said the suburbs of its capital of Tskhinvali were attacked by Georgian mortars. No one was hurt in the shootings.

    South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke away from Tbilisi's rule during a war in the 1990s that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

    Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last summer, when Georgia attacked South Ossetia to retake the renegade region that borders Russia. In response, Moscow sent in troops to drive Georgian forces out of the region.

    Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict ended.

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia did not plan the recognition of independence of the two regions until the last August's conflict began.

Editor: Wang Guanqun