| Author (Corporate) | BBC |
|---|---|
| Series Title | BBC News |
| Series Details | 9.7.08 |
| Publication Date | 09/07/2008 |
| Content Type | News |
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Russia says jets flew over Georgia Russia on Thursday admitted its fighter jets overflew the breakaway Georgian territory of South Ossetia in a sortie that took place just hours before Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, visited Tbilisi with a message of support. It was the first time in years of tension between Moscow and Tbilisi that Russia has made such an admission, even though it has frequently been accused by Georgia of flying warplanes over its territory. The foreign ministry statement is the latest escalation in a dispute in which Russia has backed South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a second Georgian separatist territory, partly to put pressure on Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s pro-west president, and block Tbilisi’s efforts to join Nato. Moscow said the “brief flight” took place on Tuesday to prevent an attack by Georgian forces. Georgia condemned the statement as an “unprecedented acknowledgement of aggression”. Speaking in Tbilisi on Thursday, Ms Rice criticised Moscow, saying it needed “to be part of resolving the problem and solving the problem and not contributing to it”. But she also appealed for calm, saying: “The violence needs to stop and whoever is perpetrating it, and I have mentioned this to the president [Mr Saakashvili], there should not be violence.” Mr Saakashvili said the Russian sortie was “a very worrisome development” and Tbilisi recalled its ambassador to Moscow in protest. Later, American officials travelling with Ms Rice said Washington was pushing for talks over the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, involving the US, Russia, UK, France, Germany and Georgia – plus the Abkhaz separatists. But they gave no further details. As Abkhazia is much larger than South Ossetia it is regarded as the more significant of the two disputed regions, although violence has flared in both. Abkhazia has been hit by four explosions, including one in which four people died while two more were killed this month in fighting between Georgian and South Ossetian forces. This year, tensions flared along the Inguri River dividing Georgian and Abkhazian territories after a Russian jet shot down an unmanned Georgian reconnaissance drone. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008 Georgia urges more pressure on Russia Mikheil Saakashvili, the pro-west Georgian president, on Friday appealed for western support at the “highest level” in Tbilisi’s worsening dispute with Russia over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Moscow-backed Georgian breakaway territories. Speaking a day after Russia admitted its fighters flew into Georgian airspace over South Ossetia, Mr Saakashvili told the Financial Times that Moscow’s approach was a challenge not to Tbilisi but to the US and the European Union. “Georgia is a test case,” said Mr Saakashvili during a conference in the Ukrainian resort of Yalta. “Today, Georgia. Tomorrow, Ukraine and then other countries in the region that they [the Russians] see as falling within their sphere of influence. They will be looking carefully at the western reaction and will act accordingly.” Mr Saakashvili was referring to what he sees as Russian interference in Georgia and Ukraine, where some Russian politicians have encouraged separatist sentiments in Crimea. Mr Saakashvili urged the west to apply “leverage” on Russia, such as economic pressure and travel restrictions for Russian officials involved in its Georgia policies and for Abkhazian and South Ossetian separatists. “Georgia alone cannot stop this,” he said. “A much stronger reaction is needed from Europe, from the west. This should be raised to the highest level in Europe and Washington. For the Russians it is clearly an issue at the highest level.” The Georgian president was speaking after Russia revealed its military action, which took place just before Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, visited Tbilisi. It was the first time in years of tension between Moscow and Tbilisi that Russia has made such an admission, even though it has frequently been accused by Tbilisi of flying warplanes over Georgia. The moves are widely seen in Georgia and the west as an attempt to pressure Tbilisi to drop plans to join Nato and bring the western military alliance into the Caucasus. Mr Saakashvili supported Ms Rice’s plans for an international diplomatic initiative involving an early meeting of officials from the US, Russia, EU states and Georgia, as well as Abkhazian and South Ossetian representatives. The European Commission also gave its backing. However, Russia responded coolly, with Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, saying in televised remarks that the disputes were primarily issues to be settled within the region. The controversy dates back to the early 1990s, when both separatist territories fought civil wars to break free of Tbilisi’s control. Mr Saakashvili, who has made reintegration a priority since he took power in the 2003 Rose Revolution, has offered the separatists autonomy and accused Russia of planning annexation, even though separatist leaders insist they want independence. The row has intensified since Kosovo, the breakaway Balkan state, had its independence recognised this year by leading western countries in the face of Russian opposition. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Georgia, 9 July 2008, amid an escalating row between Russia, Georgia and the United States. |
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| Source Link | http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7498340.stm |
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| Countries / Regions | Georgia, Russia |
