Automobile traffic across the administrative border between Adjaria and Georgia has been suspended
Automobile traffic across the administrative border between Adjaria and Georgia has been suspended. The decision was made Sunday by the Adjarian authorities, according to the Adjarian Internal Affairs Ministry. The move comes in response to major military exercises by Georgian armed forces in Poti, an hour's drive from Batumi.
The leadership of Adjaria is concerned that Tbilisi will introduce armed forces into the autonomous region. It said it also had information regarding plans to land troops by sea. There are at present 5,000 supporters of the Adjarian leader, Aslan Abashidze, on the administrative frontier on the river Choloki. The majority of them are unarmed citizens who claim they are defending their region, and say they will not permit Tbilisi to remove Abashidze.
The border is also being defended by special and rapid reaction forces. In Georgia they are considered to be illegal armed groups. According to the Georgian Internal Affairs Ministry, the authorities of the autonomous region have mobilized on the Choloki heavy military equipment and snipers.
The speaker of the Georgian parliament, Nino Burdzhanadze, and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili were on hand in Poti Sunday to observe the military maneuvers, in particular exercises involving the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zone.
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