AP News, August 23rd, 2007
Authorities in the pro-Russian separatist region of Abkhazia charged Thursday that Georgian government aircraft flew through its airspace, adding to the confrontation between Russia and Georgia, a West-leaning former Soviet state.
Abkhazia, whose government is not recognized internationally, said Georgian aircraft made two overflights Wednesday evening _ in the Gali area and at the Kodori Gorge, part of which is under government control while the rest lies in separatist territory.
The statement did not specify what kind of aircraft allegedly were involved, but said they came from Georgia. There was no immediate comment from Georgia.
Long-standing tensions between Georgia and Russia escalated sharply this month after Georgia said Russian warplanes entered Georgian airspace Aug. 6 and dropped a missile on a village. The missile did not explode and no one was hurt, but the incident set off weeks of accusations.
On Wednesday, Georgia claimed a Russian aircraft also violated Georgian airspace the previous day.
Russia has denied its planes crossed over Georgia either time.
"It looks like our Georgian colleagues are having a hallucination," the Interfax news agency quoted Russia's military chief of staff, Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, as saying Thursday.
Russia has suggested Georgian leaders fabricated the incidents to derail planned consultations about South Ossetia, another Russian-backed separatist region in Georgia.
Relations between Georgia and Russia have been strained in recent years as Georgia's leadership seeks to shed centuries of Russian influence and cultivate ties with the United States, NATO and the European Union.
On Thursday, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mandzhgaladze said the nation was close to participating in a NATO program that would give the alliance more information about Georgia's airspace. He said that would help determine the truth if future airspace violations are alleged.
Associated Press writer Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili in Tbilisi, Georgia, contributed to this report.
