MOSCOW, October 25 (RIA Novosti) - The Georgian minister for conflict settlement said Russia financed the armed forces of Georgia's breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but a senior Russian official denied the allegations Tuesday.
"Sixteen exercises have been conducted in the Tskhinvali district [South Ossetia], and since Sergei Bagapsh came to power, Abkhazia has held six exercises," Georgy Khaindrava said. "The maneuvers are being held at a time when they have no money in their budgets. It is clear to us where the money comes from, but we do not understand why Russia does this."
Khaindrava said that both of the self-proclaimed republics bordered Russia, adding that Georgia knew all about weapons imports from Russia. "Georgia cannot let aggressive separatism prosper," he said.
Khaindrava also said conflicts in the Caucasus posed a real threat to both Georgia and Russia. "We cannot let 'black holes' of uncontrolled military hardware appear here," he said.
Russia's Ambassador-at-large Valery Kenyaikin said after a session of the Joint Control Commission for the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict resolution comprising South Ossetia, Georgia, and Russia, that his country had not supplied any materiel to the republic.
"All the weapons that are now in Tskhinvali were the equipment of the Soviet armed forces that has remained there since then," Kenyaikin said.
He also said that the weaponry Khaindrava had spoken about only amounted to four medium T-55 tanks, several howitzers, and a few armored vehicles.
