Georgia increases troops, budget for military

Georgia increases troops, budget for military

www.timesonline.co.uk

TBILISI, July 15 (Reuters) - Georgia's parliament unanimously approved an increase of 5,000 soldiers and a 26.8 percent rise in military spending on Tuesday, days after Russia's air force admitted to flying over Georgian airspace.

Georgia has a long-term plan to strengthen its military, in part to promote its bid for NATO membership. But the latest expansion comes against the backdrop of heightened tension with Russia over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.ft.com
news.xinhuanet.com
www.timesonline.co.uk

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Abkhaz Leader Has Ordered Army To Sink Any Georgian Ships In Its Waters
Russia eyes new missiles aimed at Europe

Tensions in that region continue to escalate. This is another big move for Georgia, following the recall of Georgia's Ambassador to Russia. Russia has recently admitted to violating Georgian airspace over the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

The US is holding joint-military exercises with Georgia all throughout the month of July.

Stand up to Russia over Georgia

If proof were needed of the significance of the crisis facing the troubled Caucasus state of Georgia, it came yesterday with the start of exercises involving 1,000 US troops.

US officials insist the long-planned wargames have nothing to do with the recent dispute between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But they give Washington a chance to support pro-west Tbilisi at a critical time.

And some more fightin' words.

Georgia leader Mikhail Saakashvili: Russia is a menace to peace

The West must confront Russia to prevent another conflict from breaking out in the Caucasus, the President of Georgia has told The Times.

Mikhail Saakashvili said that elements in Russia were intent on provoking trouble in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and compared Europe’s response to the failures of appeasement in the 1930s.

This has been an interesting conflict to follow, and to me it always seems like the situation there continues to deteriorate.
You can follow the past and most recent events in this thread:
Abkhaz Leader Has Ordered Army To Sink Any Georgian Ships In Its Waters (by Hellmutt)

www.timesonline.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)