RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN ACCUSES GEORGIA
By Osman KECECI (JTW)

Journal of Turkish Daily
Oct 26 2006

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Georgian leaders of
seeking to resolve their country’s territorial disputes by force. Mr
Putin told Russian TV viewers that in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia
region "people are very concerned about the militarisation of
Georgia". Georgian authorities said Abkhazian separatist forces fired
rockets at Georgian-controlled territory Wednesday while Georgia’s
interior minister was in the vicinity, but injured no one. According
to the Georgian sources, Russian military backs almost all separatist
movement in Georgia. Russia frequently involve in the regional ethnic
and other problems. Armenian forces were supported by Russian Military
against Azerbaijan during the Karabakh War. Russia has ‘solved’
its territorial disputes in Chechenya by force.

Russia has deported hundreds of Georgians amid a bitter diplomatic
row. One of the deportees died last week from an asthma attack at a
Moscow airport while waiting to be deported from Russia. The Georgian
embassy says Tengiz Togonidze, 58, was denied medical attention during
five days of detention despite his requests to see a doctor.

Mr Putin was speaking in a live TV phone-in with Russians nationwide.

The pro-Russian separatist authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia
want independence from Georgia, but Tbilisi has vowed to reimpose
its rule in the rebel regions.

Mr Putin warned that it would be a big mistake for Georgia to resort
to force. "We cannot allow bloodshed in this region," he said, though
Russia is being accused by using only military force in Chechnya.

Mr. Putin argued that Russia did not have territorial ambitions in
the Caucasus. Russia has military bases in Georgia and Armenia and
refuses to withdraw its armies from Georgia.

"We’re not trying to increase our territory. We have enough territory,"
Mr. Putin said.

Russian-Georgian relations worsened last month after Tbilisi detained
four Russians whom it said were spies.

Russia responded by cutting transport and postal links with Georgia
and expelled hundreds of Georgians alleged to be living in Russia
illegally. Police also cracked down on Georgian businesses in Moscow.

KOSOVA ISSUE

Russia though support Abkhazian and Ossetian independence in Caucasus,
it is against Kosova’s independence in the Balkans. Mr.

Putin said Russia would be closely watching developments in Kosovo, the
mainly ethnic Albanian province which de facto broke away from Serbia.

Kosovo – still officially part of Serbia – is run by a UN
administration, but a final settlement is being negotiated. Many
observers expect Kosovo to get some form of independence, which might
be an imposed solution.