Fresh accusation refuels Georgia-Russia tensions
Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007 17:53
Georgia has issued a fresh accusation against Russia
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Day-by-day updates on the situation in Georgia, as Russia continues to raise the diplomatic states over the future of its breakaway provinces. Full Story
The Georgian government has accused Russia of a fresh airspace violation today, according to media reports.
The Reuters news agency cites a statement from the Tbilisi government saying that its anti-aircraft defences tracked Russian aircraft passing into Georgian airspace near the Black Sea coast yesterday.
Russia has denied that any of its aircraft were in the area, however, adding to already tense relations between the two countries.
Its air force has repeatedly denied the earlier violation of Georgian airspace, which is alleged to have occurred on August 6th.
An unexploded missile, half-visible in a crater outside a small village immediately after the reports emerged, increased the serious nature of the accusations but these have been vociferously denied by Russian officials.
Georgia's enthusiasm for entry into the EU has made itself a political enemy of Russia, which imposed a clampdown on the nation after Tbilisi arrested four Russian 'spies' last September.
The relationship between the Kremlin and its former Soviet satellite is complicated by the existence of South Ossetia, a breakaway province which has been granted temporary autonomy by Tbilisi.
This is backed by Moscow and has supported Russia's claims over the first airspace incident.
Boris Chochiyev, deputy prime minister of South Ossetia's separatist government, said after the August 6th allegations that the Georgian government set up the missile case "in order to blame it on Russia".
"Russia is the main guarantor of stability in our region, and it doesn't want to incite tensions," he suggested.