NATO Tells Russia to Withdraw Railway Forces from Abkhazia

The deployment of Railway Forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Abkhazia is “contributing to instability in what is already a volatile area,” NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a statement on June 3.

“I am concerned by the current deployment of several hundred Russian military personnel into the Georgian region of Abkhazia,” he said. “This deployment of Russian Railroad Forces does not appear to have any legal basis; it is not taking place in the context of the CIS peacekeeping mission, and it is against the express wishes of the Georgian Government. 

“As such, this deployment is clearly in contravention of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which NATO strongly supports. These forces should be withdrawn, and both Russia and Georgia should engage quickly in a high-level and open dialogue to de-escalate tensions.”