Moscow and Tbilisi, whose relations have been tense in the last few years, have become embroiled in a new dispute after Georgia arrested six Russian servicemen in the country Wednesday on suspicion of espionage.
Noting that Russia might bring the issue to the U.N. Security Council, Russian parliamentarian Yuri Sharadin asserted that the Georgian position was leading the issue to a war.
Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said: "We had concerns that classified information has been transmitted to Moscow for a few years. Four Russian military officers and two intelligence officers have been detained. The suspects were conducting illegal intelligence gathering in Georgia."
Merabishvili also said that among the detainees were 12 Georgian citizens.
Following the incident, Georgian security forces besieged the Russian peacekeeping force headquarters in Tbilisi.
Moscow, which openly rejects the accusations, urged the immediate release of the detainees.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, citing the accusations as unfounded, said three of the detainees arrived in the region one month ago, and it was impossible for them to start proactive work in such a short time.
The Russian defense ministry announced that visa transactions were suspended until the release of the officers.
Bilateral relations between Russia and Georgia have deteriorated since Mihail Saakashvili's takeover following the 2003 Rose Revolution.
Claiming that Russia supports the separatist movements in Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia, the Georgian administration demands the evacuation of the Russian bases settled in Georgia in 1990 to monitor the peace accord. Russian troops will withdraw from the country in 2008.
Source:
Zaman
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