April 30, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1429

MOSCOW, April 29: Russia’s defence ministry on Tuesday announced an increase in peacekeeping forces to two rebel Georgian regions in response to what it called aggressive moves by pro-Western Georgia.

“The development of events has created the need for an increase in the peacekeeping contingent in the conflict zones” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the ministry was quoted as saying by state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

Russia maintains a peacekeeping force in both areas under agreements with Georgia in the 1990s following wars in which separatists broke from Georgian control and established close ties with Moscow, which has encouraged residents there to take Russian citizenship.

The defence ministry, which accused Georgia of massing troops near the rebel areas, did not say how many extra soldiers were being sent, while detailing that 15 new observation posts would be set up on the front line in Abkhazia.

About 2,000 Russians serve there and about another 1,000 in South Ossetia.

“Any attempt by the Georgian side to resolve the conflicts with force against Russian peacekeepers and also against Russian citizens... will be met with an adequate and tough answer,” state news agencies quoted the ministry as saying.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued its own statement, saying: “the presence of Russian peacekeepers remains the decisive factor in preventing an escalation of tension.” Georgia, however, which accuses Moscow of attempting to annex the territories, swiftly rejected the Russian military’s allegations and said the announced troop increase was unacceptable.

“This is not acceptable to us.... They cannot increase the number any further,” Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.

“It is the Russians who are taking provocative actions, not Georgia,” he said. “Deploying additional troops is certainly a very provocative move.” ”There has been no increase in forces from the Georgian side, nothing at all. The Russian statement is simply not true.” Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who came to power in the peaceful Rose Revolution in 2003 and has enacted sweeping Western-style reforms to the economy and government, was to make a televised statement later Tuesday, Rustavi-2 television announced.

Moscow has close ties with the separatists, who control strategic passes through the huge Caucasus mountain chain, providing them with financial help and frequently inviting the rebel leaders to Moscow.

The row is at the heart of increasingly bitter relations between Moscow and Tbilisi and also part of Russia’s broader offensive against growing Western influence in its former Soviet backyard.

Analysts see the rise of tensions in the Georgian separatist regions as helping Moscow to impede its neighbour’s bid for membership in the Nato military alliance.

Moscow has also warned that Western recognition of independence for Serbian province Kosovo threatens a chain reaction of separatism — hinting that it could respond by recognising Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Earlier this month, Russia lifted a range of economic sanctions that had been in place for two years against Georgia, including the complete closure of land, air and sea links.

However, tensions have repeatedly flared since, including Georgia’s accusation that a Russian aircraft shot down an unmanned surveillance drone deployed over Abkhazia.

On Tuesday, Georgia’s negotiator at talks on Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation confirmed that Tbilisi was blocking Moscow’s entry.—Reuters