Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

The provocative actions of Georgia, which is organizing protests related to the strengthening of state borders by South Ossetia, are unacceptable and threaten regional stability, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said in a telephone conversation with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Philippe Lefort.

This information was published as the statement on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry on September 23.

"A promotional propaganda around the absolutely lawful actions of the authorities of Tskhinvali to strengthen the borders of their state is being staged," the statement reads. "False statements are spread about barbwire fencing."

Karasin accused the Georgian police in the direct involvement in the organization of protests of the local population, which are "followed by tendentious coverage in media".

"Premediated buildup of tension and political speculations around this topic are unacceptable. They are fraught with serious consequences for the regional stability," the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Earlier, Georgia's Interior Ministry condemned the demarcation works on the line of the contact with the separatist regions and called on the Russian side to immediately suspend them.

Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.