28.01.2009
Georgia has accused Russia of militarism in reaction to news of the possible creation of a base for the Black Sea Fleet in Abkhazia, calling in the same vain on the international community not to allow the Caucasus to be turned into a military staging area.
“Given the absence of an international monitoring regime in the Georgian territories occupied by Russia, the Russian Federation is using all means available to increase its military potential in that region,” the Georgian foreign Ministry said in a press release.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry, therefore, has called on the international community to “pay appropriate attention to Russia’s militaristic tendencies and not allow force to prevail over democracy and international law.”
The Russian media reported earlier, citing sources in the Russian Navy, that Moscow and Sukhumi had reached an agreement on the creation of a basis for the Black Sea Fleet in the Abkhaz port of Ochamchiri.
The information was later confirmed by Christian Bzhania, a spokesman for President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh. Sukhumi believes that “based on the agreement on Friendship, cooperation and mutual aid between Abkhazia and Russia, Abkhazia is ready for concrete cooperation in this area, and, accordingly for an official concretization of the agreement with the Black Sea Fleet.” Bzhania stressed that no official documents on the subject exist at the moment.
Source:
Translation:
RusNavy.com
