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Russia worried over NATO activity in South Caucasus

A regular round of Geneva International Discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus has not brought about any agreement on the non-use of force in the region, a Russian diplomat said

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GENEVA, December 13. /TASS/. Russia highlighted an increase in NATO activity in the South Caucasus at the Geneva International Discussions, emphasizing that Moscow cannot take this calmly, Russia’s State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told TASS on Wednesday.

"There appeared information about new contracts, in particular about a $75-million deal on deliveries of cutting-edge anti-tank missile systems Javelin to Tbilisi," Karasin said. "Moreover, Americans have repurposed the Georgian peacekeepers’ course to train regular units."

"Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia are alarmed, and naturally, we cannot take it calmly," he said. "We focused attention on this fact at the Geneva meeting."

A regular round of Geneva International Discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus has not brought about any agreement on the non-use of force in the region, he said.

"For more than three hours and a half, we have been discussing a joint statement on non-use of force," he said. "We nearly come to approve it."

"However, one of the sides needed hours attempting to agree it," the diplomat added. "Unfortunately, no such approval followed."

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