Georgia refuses air space in CIS exercises

Channel One TV, Moscow
5 Apr 05

[Presenter] We have some interesting news about the large-scale
air-defence exercises which started today. Representatives of the
Russian armed forces say the initial plan was to hold the exercises
in another place, but the venue had to be changed because Georgia,
which is formally a member of the CIS air-defence system, is more or
less boycotting it.

[Boris Cheltsov, captioned as chief of general staff of the Russian
Air Force] Unfortunately, we wanted to do this in Armenia, but Georgia
would not allow us to use its air space, so we will use the territory
of the fourth army. [Passage omitted]

[Correspondent] There will be an exercise in detaining planes
violating air space, and in helping planes which have fallen into
difficulties. The special feature in this training is that it involves
planes equipped with the A-50 search radar system, the equivalent of
NATO’s AWACS.