Writethru: Russia cuts military ties, rejects mediators in row with Georgia

Russia cut military ties with Georgia on Tuesday amid a row with the Caucasus nation over its detention of Russian officers on spying charges and rejected the idea of involving mediators in resolving the dispute.

"The Russian Defense Ministry is not discussing outlooks of military or military-technical cooperation with Georgia any more," a high-ranking source of the ministry was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying. "Russia is not planning any contacts at the defense ministries' level for 2007," the source added.

Russia will only remain in contact with Georgia on matters regarding the implementation of agreements on the withdrawal of two Russian military bases from Georgia, the source said.

Russia suspended postal, air, road, rail and sea links with Georgia on Tuesday following Tbilisi's arrest of four Russian officers, which Russia President Vladimir Putin publicly denounced as "an act of state terrorism."

The four officers were released on Monday and returned to Moscow later that day aboard an Emergency Situations Ministry plane.

The spy row has added to an already tense relationship between Russia and Georgia. Ties have been strained by the Georgian leadership's bid to join NATO and a Russian ban on imports of Georgian wines.

Earlier, Russia recalled its ambassador from Georgia and evacuated some of the Russian personnel there amid the worst crisis in recent years between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, said Russia has no intention of restoring the transport links with Georgia any time soon.

The top Russian diplomat said there is no need to involve mediators to help solve the dispute.

"Frankly, I see no need for inviting any mediator or third party to issues related to Russian-Georgian relations," Lavrov said, quoted by Interfax.

"Third parties have actually interfered in relations between Russia and Georgia and this has only done harm," he said.

In a telephone conversation on Monday with U.S. President George W. Bush, Putin also warned against intervention by third countries.

"Any action by third countries that the Georgian leadership could interpret as support for its destructive policy is unacceptable and constitutes a danger for peace and stability in the region," the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying in a statement.

Source: Xinhua