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Abkhaz fear Georgia planning to retake region by force
Sukhumi believes a renewal of Georgian-Abkhaz fighting is a possibility and is sure that Tbilisi is preparing for it. "The Georgian authorities lack time. They failed to settle the conflict politically, because we defined our course long ago, and that is independence and Abkhazia can accept neither extended autonomy nor special status. Tbilisi has begun a buildup," Abkhaz Defense Minister, Lt. Gen. Sultan Sosnaliyev said in an interview published by in the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper on Friday.The Georgian army has qualitatively changed recently, he said. "The Georgian military budget is the largest in the Transcaucasus. It has reached the level of $300 million and is equal to the entire annual Georgian budget in the times of Eduard Shevardnadze. U.S. experts train Georgian soldiers and officers study abroad. Modern arms and equipment are delivered to the country. Military training is carried out constantly. They are creating this army for a reason," Sosnaliyev said. In his opinion, Georgian-Abkhaz war will break out when the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline begins full operation.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-12-10 |
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