Georgia Denies Air Maneuvers Over Kodori

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, August 7, 2002) – Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on August 6 denying that the UH-1H Iroquois “Huey” helicopters of the Georgian Air Forces fly over Kodori gorge, the only territory in breakaway Abkhazia controlled by the Georgian government.

Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement of August 6 said that the Georgian side conducts air maneuvers with its helicopters in Abkhazia, that is violation 1994 Moscow agreement.

The UH-1H Iroquois “Huey” helicopters were donated to the Georgian Armed Forces by the US government last year.

Georgian Foreign Ministry’s statement says that the Iroquois helicopters conduct only training flights in the adjacent areas of their dislocation places – Tbilisi, Telavi in eastern Georgia, that is hundreds of kilometers away from Kodori gorge.