Abkhazians warn to capture Kutaisi

The chief of staff of Abkhaz troops Merab Kishmaria said that the Abkhaz armed forces had been put on combat alert for possible armed provocations by the Georgian side.

 

“We are in the loop about Georgian plans for a military intervention in Abkhazia. We are ready … and our units are in a state of alert,” he said.

“I want to warn Georgian leadership that we would need several days in order to response to the Georgian aggression by entering Kutaisi”, the Minister of Defense noted.

 

Sukhumi also stated that the Georgian side preparing its hospitals to receive wounded, which indirectly shows the preparation of armed conflict. Permanent representative of Abkhazia in the Gali region Ruslan Kishmaria has said that hospitals are being emptied in the Zugdidsk region of Georgia.

 

Earlier a Russian federal security source said that Georgia, “with the participation of foreign experts,” had prepared a plan for “armed action” against Abkhazia, which would be carried out within the next few days.

 

He said the plan developed by the Georgian side envisions “the seizure of vital installations in Abkhazia’s coastal area.

 

“Georgian units of about three thousand soldiers at the lower Kodori Gorge would be used in the operation”, the source says.

 

Moreover, according to anonymous representative of the Russian security agencies said that “a number of foreign embassies in Georgia were preparing to evacuate their staff from Tbilisi”. Later on these words repeated by officials of the Abkhaz side.

 

Meanwhile, Georgian Foreign Ministry on Saturday evening made a refutation of statements by the anonymous representatives of the Russian security agencies on a possible “destabilization in the conflict zone in Abkhazia”. This message was circulated by several Russian news agencies.

 

“The Georgian leadership advises the anonymous representatives of the Russian security agencies…to take a few drops of valerian [a traditional herbal sedative]. However, Georgian doctors believe that valerian will not be potent enough…and they would be better off taking Valium,” Georgia’s acting foreign minister, Grigol Vashadze, was quoted as saying by a ministry spokesman.

 

Regarding the possibility of closure of foreign embassies in Tbilisi or their evacuation from Georgian capital, the Foreign Ministry said folloqing:

 

“At the present time working process in the MFA is on schedule, foreign embassies are working in customary regime”, stressed by the Ministry.

 

In turn, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili declared that “Georgia is facing a crucial test in the most critical and dangerous period for all of its long history”.

 

He said this speaking at a congress of the ruling “United National Movement Party” on last Saturday.

 

“Today is the moment of truth, victory, and union for Georgia. This is a unique chance, losing of which no one will forgive us”, Mikhail Saakashvili said.

 

Georgian President believes that “this is not the time of deceitful promises, and no one will forgive the inaction and humility even with the biggest enemy”.

 

He recalled that “in its history, Georgia had always knocked at the door of big empires, but today it is at other positions”.

 

“Today Georgia is being talked in excellent tone throughout Europe and in the world. Just two years ago nobody could imagine that the leaders of states such as Germany, France, USA, will be so active talk about Georgia for few days”, Mikhail Saakashvili said with satisfaction.

 

He called opponents’ criticism regarding his attention to the army and its armament unfounded.  According to him, today the Georgian army is well prepared, equipped and has a high motivation.

 

“And this has a great significance in the background, when a part of Georgia is under occupation by the biggest aggressor…”, Mikhail Saakashvili said.

Kavkaz Center