Russia cuts off Georgia links despite peace move

[milmor_1]

Russia cuts off Georgia links despite peace move - Irish Independent

Tuesday October 3rd 2006


Release of soldiers accused of spying fails to quell Putin's anger



RUSSIA heightened its campaign to isolate Georgia yesterday despite the release of four military officers arrested for alleged espionage.

President Saakashvili turned the Russians over to the head of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in what he termed a gesture of goodwill to Georgia's European allies.

Russia, infuriated by the arrests, showed no sign last night of reciprocating. The Transport and Communications Ministry announced that all road, sea, rail and air links to Georgia were being suspended from today. Postal services were also being halted.

Operations

Boris Gryzlov, the Speaker of the Duma, the Russian parliament, said that legislation would be introduced to enable the Government to ban banking operations with certain countries. Georgians working in Russia send an estimated €1.5bn a year to impoverished relatives at home.

Mr Saakashvili announced the release of the men after a meeting in Tbilisi with Karel De Gucht, the Belgian foreign minister, who is the OSCE chairman in office.

In an afternoon of political theatre, the Russians were taken in a convoy of police cars to the offices of the Georgian Prosecutor-General, where they were paraded outside in handcuffs before the media.

An official read each a statement affirming Georgia's view that he was a spy, then banned him from the country for life.

The men were transferred to Mr De Gucht's care and driven off in OSCE vehicles.

They were later flown to Moscow by Russian military transport, along with two other officers who had been sought by Georgian authorities in connection with the alleged spy ring.

Mr Saakashvili, at a press conference with Mr De Gucht, said that Georgia had agreed on Saturday to the OSCE's offer to facilitate the transfer of the men to Moscow. He said that there was no doubt that the men were spies and insisted that their release had been "in no way" a response to pressure from Russia.

The President dismissed the Russian sanctions, saying that Georgia had been subjected to persistent efforts by Moscow to undermine its independence since 1991 and particularly since he came to power in the Rose Revolution of 2003.

"The message of Georgia to our great neighbour Russia is: enough is enough. We want to have good relations, we want to be constructive, we want to have dialogue, but we can't be treated as some second-rate backyard to some kind of re-emerging empire.

"We want to have a civilised relationship. We want, together with Russia, to be part not of a world where there is a culture of intimidation, blackmail, bullying and pressure, but a world of civilised dialogue."

Mr De Gucht urged Russia to respond to the Georgian gesture with actions to "decrease tensions rapidly".

He said: "I think that isolation is not the answer to the situation."

Moscow responded to last week's arrests by recalling its ambassador, evacuating scores of diplomats and their families and banning visas for Georgians.

President Putin accused Georgia of "state terrorism involving hostage-taking" and compared its leadership to Josef Stalin's notorious secret policeman Lavrenty Beria.

And he warned President Bush yesterday of the risks of third countries encouraging Georgia to pursue "destructive policies".

Russia has been irritated by American support of Mr Saakashvili and particularly its encouragement of Georgia's desire to join Nato.

[milmor_1]

A further up date on this situation is as follows;

Independent Online Edition > Europe

Russia piles more pressure on Georgia but rules out force
By Stephen Castle, Europe Correspondent
Published: 06 October 2006

Russia has tightened the economic noose around Georgia, escalating a bitter dispute but ruling out use of military force against its neighbour. In the latest twist to a row which broke out when Georgia arrested four Russian military officers, Moscow has frozen work permits for Georgians and closed a casino owned by Georgian businessmen.

With transport and postal links to Russia already cut, Georgians also face the prospect of paying more for their energy, because Gazprom, the Russian monopoly, is poised to increase the price of gas supplied to Georgia.

Unofficial reports suggested that Gazprom wants to raise 2007 prices from its $110 (£59) to between $170 and $250 per 1,000 cubic metres. But is is unclear whether this was linked directly to the crisis, since they were negotiating on energy prices before the row broke out.

But the work permit ban could hit hard because the Georgian economy is heavily dependent on its Soviet-era partner. A fifth of Georgia's 4.4 million population work in Russia, many sending their earnings home to support families.

One senior Georgian diplomat suggested that the rift could lead to military conflict. Zurab Tchiaberashvili, the Georgian ambassador to the Council of Europe, said: "We have a cold war in the Caucasus and we fear that this cold war will transform into a hot war which will threaten peace and security in the region."

But asked about the possibility of the use of the military, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko said: "Of course there can't be any talk about it." But there was no let-up in the war of words between the two sides and Mr Yakovenko said Moscow would ease the pressure on the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, only if Tbilisi changed its attitude.

He said: "Russia does not want to be provoked; Russia wants to be respected. Russia wants the anti-Russian campaign to stop. If Sakaashvili's regime changes such policies, then this would be a different conversation."

Thomas Gomart, head of the Russia programme for the French Institute of Foreign Relations, said: "We are in an extremely worrying situation. We are not at the point of military confrontation but we need to pay close attention to the situation.

"The government in Georgia was already in a weak position because of the impact of internal reforms. The Russian economic blockage will weaken it further and could provoke instability".

Tbilisi has freed the four Russian officers after accusing them of spying. But Moscow has been infuriated by Mr Saakashvili's pro-Western rhetoric and overtures towards Nato