Lavrov Warns against Arms Supplies to Georgia

Russia will reconsider its ties with those countries, which would continue arms supply to Georgia, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on January 20.
 
“We will make conclusions based on how other countries will act. If they still continue ignoring facts and continue delivering offensive weapons to Georgia, we will make conclusions in respect of relations with these countries,” Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying.

Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has signed a decree ordering the government “either to restrict or cut military-technical and military-economic cooperation” with countries providing Russian or Soviet made or designed weapons to Georgia. The decree also orders the government “to immediately propose special economic measures” against those countries or “foreign organizations and citizens,” which provide military equipment to Georgia.

The Russian Foreign Minister was speaking at a joint press conference with Murat Jioev, the foreign minister of breakaway South Ossetia, in Moscow. Lavrov and Jioev have exchanged instruments of ratification of a comprehensive bilateral cooperation treaty, which was signed by South Ossetian leader, Eduard Kokoity, and Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, in Moscow in September. A similar agreement has also been signed with breakaway Abkhazia.

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