Georgian President Playing with Fire

Another political provocation of the Georgian government

A column of Russian vehicles and Russian troops in the Caucasus was arrested on Monday afternoon near the Georgian town of Kutaisi. The column had to spend the entire night near a police station.

The Russian column was made up of six vans and a bus with 23 officers in the Caucasus. The column was heading from the Georgian capital Tbilisi to another city in the republic, Butumi, to inspect a Russian army base. All officers were arrested and all vehicles were confiscated by the Georgian police.

Spokesmen for the Georgian police claimed that the Russian military men did not have permission from the Defense Ministry of Georgia to be on the territory of the country. Russian officers stated the opposite. They declared that their move from Tbilisi to Batumi was previously agreed upon with the Defense Ministry of Georgia. According to them, traveling by cars or buses that do not carry arms or other defense technology does not require special permission from the Defense Ministry of Georgia.

Russian military men believe that the actions of Georgian officials were illegal. Negotiations between the arrested Russian military men and Georgian defense officials were reportedly resumed on Tuesday morning.

It is worth mentioning here that this is not the first time when a Russian column of vehicles has been arrested in Georgia. In April of the current year, the Georgian police arrested a column of Russian trucks that were carrying military things and clothing. The Georgian police claimed that the cargo was illegal and its transportation was not coordinated with the Defense Ministry of Georgia.

The Russian military command in the Caucasus stated that those events were a political provocation. Russian military officials stated that the rules pertaining to the transportation of military cargo on the territory of Georgia were determined only with the agreement of 1995. Furthermore, that agreement has not been ratified yet.

But even according to that document, Russia is supposed to coordinate its military transportation with Georgia if the number of vehicles in a column exceeds 20. There were only two trucks in the column that was detained in April. What is Georgia going to do now?

Dmitry Chirkin PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov