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Diplomat slams NATO drills in Georgia

The joint drills of the 13 members and partners of NATO dubbed Noble Partner 2018 kicked off on August 1 in Georgia

© EPA-EFE/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. The NATO drills in Georgia are supported by militarist sentiments and are aimed at exerting pressure over Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

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"We cannot agree with the statements of the Georgian Defense Ministry that these drills are aimed at providing security in the Black Sea region. Stability and security mean constructive dialogue, not helicopters and tanks," Zakharova noted. "It is clear that their current task is to project power pressure, chiefly over South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia." These exercises result in "bolstering military sentiments and the escalation of tensions," she said.

Moscow regrets that "Georgia’s neighbor countries were involved in these drills at various pretexts."

The joint drills of the 13 members and partners of NATO dubbed Noble Partner 2018 kicked off on August 1 at the Vaziani Military Base in Georgia. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, more than 3,000 servicemen are taking part in these maneuvers. The scenario includes headquarters and field drills, field firing and the interaction between maneuver and combat elements.

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