GEORGIA BLOCKS RUSSIAN MILITARY TRANSIT FLIGHTS – AIR FORCE OFFICIAL

RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 11 2006

MOSCOW, December 11 (RIA Novosti) – Georgia is impeding the transit of
Russian military aircraft delivering cargo and personnel to Russia’s
military base in Armenia, in breach of a bilateral agreement, a
Russian Air Force official said Monday.

"Despite the agreement that Russia and Georgia signed on the transit
of military cargo through the country’s airspace, there have been
repeated instances where Georgia has prohibited the movement of
Russian Air Force aircraft through its airspace. The Georgian side
ignores most of our applications without any comment," said Alexander
Drobyshevsky, head of the information and public relations department
of the Air Force.

Russian-Georgian relations, which have been tense in recent years
over the status of Russian-leaning breakaway republics in Georgia
and Tbilisi’s drive to join NATO, have hit a new low since four
Russian troops were briefly arrested in Tbilisi on spying charges
in September. Russia has suspended all transportation and mail links
with the South Caucasus country.

The Air Force official said that out of the 40 applications that
Russia has submitted over the last six months, only 12 were accepted.

The Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri, about 120 kilometers
(75 miles) from the Armenian capital Yerevan, is part of a joint air
defense system of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which was
deployed in Armenia in 1995.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress