Tskhinvali Condemns Multinational “Agile Spirit” Drills in Georgia
The Moscow-backed “foreign ministry” of Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia has joined Sokhumi in condemning the multinational “Agile Spirit” military exercises launched at Senaki military base in western Georgia last week.
In a statement of August 2, the “foreign ministry” of Russia occupied Tskhinvali region expressed “extremely serious concern,” saying that “yet another demonstration of NATO’s saber-rattling in Georgia on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of [Georgia’s] military aggression against South Ossetia” is nothing but continuation of “NATO’s provocative course” to support “the revanchist ambitions of Tbilisi in respect of South Ossetia.”
“No matter who tries to convince the international community of the exclusively defensive nature of the NATO military presence in Georgia, it is well known how the encouraging gestures of its western patrons are valued in this country,” occupied Tskhinvali’s “foreign ministry” stated.
It also said that supporting Georgia’s NATO aspirations “negatively affects the existing system of regional stability and security.” Moscow-backed Tskhinvali further noted that “moreover, considering a number of Georgia’s territorial claims for its neighboring states, such military-political support” can lead to creating yet another threat of destabilization and cause tension in the region.
Up to 3,300 troops from the NATO member and partner countries, including Bulgaria, Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine, UK and US, are participating in the exercise.
Georgia is a host of “Agile Spirit” drills since 2011, when the exercise started as a bilateral training for the U.S. and Georgian military. Since 2015 a number of other countries have joined in.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
