RUSSIA ACCUSES GEORGIA OF BLOCKING AIR SPACE

Agence France Presse — English
December 11, 2006 Monday 8:50 PM GMT

Russia accused its rival Georgia on Monday of breaching a deal by
blocking its military planes from landing at a Russian base in Armenia,
the latest in a spate of diplomatic clashes between the neighbours.

"Despite an accord reached between Russia and Georgia on the transit
of military cargo planes, the refusal by the Georgians to grant
authorisation to Russian air force planes to use the Georgian air
space continues," Russian air force spokesman Alexander Drobyshevski
was quoted as saying by news agencies.

Russian planes must pass through Georgian air space in order to supply
the airbase in Russia’s ally Armenia, another former Soviet state.

"Over the past six months, we have asked 40 times for authorisation
to use Georgian air space, but have received this authorisation for
only 12 flights," Drobyshevski added.

Diplomatic relations between Russia and its southern neighbour have
declined since Georgia’s pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili
came to power in 2003, and nose-dived in September when Georgia
expelled four Russian officers whom it accused of spying.

Moscow reacted by suspending air and sea links with Georgia and closing
its land borders with the country, as well as rounding up and expelling
hundreds of Georgians it accused of being in Russia illegally.