Sukhum/Tbilisi-Agency Caucasus - A recent statement from Valeri Kenyakin, Russian Foreign Ministry's special envoy for relations with the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has come as the reiteration of claims that Georgia might soon launch a war on Abkhazia.

"Russia is worried that Georgia might soon launch a military operation against Abkhazia," said Kenyakin in his statement.

A possible Georgian military operation would definitely not remain unanswered, added Kenyakin: "Although it is likely that Georgia may attempt to launch a military operation against Abkhazia soon, Russia will do its best in any case and defend its citizens in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia will definitely not leave its citizens in these countries alone."

Gal residents claimed under pressure to get Russian passport

The Georgian Rustavi-2 television station reported that Abkhazia had been sending off reinforcement troops to Gal for some time now. Residents were forced by the Abkhazian troops to get a Russian passport, the Georgian television channel further reported, or they would be forced to leave their homes.

The response from the Abkhazian administration was quite clear: The Georgian television station's report was a plain nonsense. The first statement came from Garri Kupalba, Deputy Defense Minister, who said that troops had never ever been deployed in the safety zone since 1994, when the concept of the safety zone came about for the first time. Kupalba also denied the claims that the Russian Federation deployed the Maykop Bridage along Ochamchira, a region near to the border. "The Abkhazian territory does not host any troops of the Russian Federation; there are only troops of the CIS peace force deployed across the country," he said.

The CIS officials also denied the claim of the Rustavi-2 television channel, accusing the Georgian news media of attempting to rising the tension across the conflict region. ÖZ/FT