Georgia boosting military strength: Moscow
October 1st, 2009 - 9:37 pm ICT by IANSMoscow, Oct 1 (DPA) Russia’s military Thursday warned of an increasing militarisation of its southern neighbour Georgia, in a warning coming a day after a European Union report blamed both countries for the brief but bitter war in the summer of 2008.
Deputy chief of general staff Anatoly Nogovizin said that since the war, Georgia had boosted its military forces by 4,000 to a current level of 36,000.
According to the Interfax agency, Nogovizin also accused Georgia of trying to destabilise the situation in the region with continued provocations.
Russia has repeatedly warned the West against supplying the “war monger” Georgia with new weapons, with Moscow also accusing Georgia of still planning to try to reconquer the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said his country, which is seeking to join NATO, is merely aiming to boost its self-defence capabilities.
Nogovizin’s warning came a day after an independent study for the EU blamed both Russia and Georgia for the Aug 2008 conflict.
The report by an experts group led by Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini concluded that Georgia broke international law by attacking the separatist zone of South Ossetia, but Russia broke the law by invading Georgia in response.
After the report was published, both countries were quick to put their spin on it to blame the other for the conflict.
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- Georgia reluctant to restore relations with Russia (Lead) - Mar 03, 2012
- US Senate asks Russia to pull out from Abkhazia, South Ossetia - Jul 31, 2011
- Hollywood film about Russia-Georgia war being shot - Oct 19, 2009
- Russia inks military pacts with Georgia's breakaway regions - Sep 15, 2009
- Georgian opposition to sue TV channel over fake invasion report - Mar 14, 2010
- Georgia still bears scars a year after war with Russia - Jul 30, 2009
- Russia upgrades marine patrols off Abkhazian coast - Sep 20, 2009
- US criticizes Medvedev visit to South Ossetia - Jul 15, 2009
- Bush, Medvedev trade barbs over Georgia - Aug 16, 2008
- Georgia, Azerbaijan to jointly bid for Euro 2020 - Mar 07, 2012
- Georgia launches probe into alleged firing by Russian forces - Nov 25, 2008
Tags: bitter war, breakaway, defence capabilities, deputy chief, dpa, experts group, general staff, georgian president, heidi, independent study, interfax agency, mikheil saakashvili, military forces, military strength, neighbour, provocations, self defence, south ossetia, swiss diplomat, war monger