Moscow/Tbilisi - Russia along with Sergei Bagapch, the leader of the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia, on Saturday accused Georgia of preparing for a military takeover of Abkhazia, the Interfax news agency reported. According to the report, the Russian Defence Ministry in Moscow criticized Tbilisi for choosing "the way of violence to solve the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict."
This came as Georgia announced an increase in its defence expenditure for 2008 by 100 million euros (157 million dollars) to total nearly one billion euros in light on the increased tensions in its breakaway regions.
Nika Rurua, the deputy chairman of the Georgian parliament's defence committee, alleging that Russia itself was preparing to annex Abkhazia, said Saturday during a parliamentary session that "the threat has increased sharply, which above all can be traced back to the developments in the separatist areas."
"Russian peacekeeping soldiers are creating lasting destabilization in the conflict region," said Rurua, adding that Georgia would provide its air force and marines with additional munitions and equipment as well as train its reservists.
Russia deployed an added number of its troops in Abkhazia and the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia in anticipation of a possible Georgian attack.
On Monday, Abkhazian President Bagapch accused the Georgian secret service of being behind twin bomb blasts that killed two people Monday in the regional capital Sukhumi.
Georgia rejected the allegations as "absurd."
Abkhazia unilaterally separated from Georgia in 1992, which was followed by the 1992-1993 armed conflict that saw Georgian forces defeated and a ceasefire in 1994.
International organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union and others, still recognize Abkhazia as a part of Georgia.
