October 7, 2002	Monday	Rajab 29, 1423

CHISINAU, Oct 6: Russia and Georgia will jointly patrol their common border, which Moscow claims Chechen guerillas regularly cross to fight its troops in Chechnya, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Georgian counterpart Eduard Shevardnadze said on Sunday.

“Following President Shevardnadze’s proposal, our two countries’ border guards will increase their cooperation to a level which will include joint patrolling along the border” between Russia and Georgia, Putin told reporters with Shevardnadze at his side, following talks here between the two leaders.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Tbilisi of turning a blind eye to the activities of Chechen guerillas allegedly using Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge area as a rear base to infiltrate the Russian breakaway republic of Chechnya. —AFP