The South Ossetian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with the multinational military exercises Agile Spirit 2019 in Georgia.
"On July 27, Georgia began one of the largest multinational exercises of the 14 member countries and partners of NATO Agile Spirit 2019, which is attended by more than 3 thousand military personnel. The next demonstration of the rattling of NATO weapons in Georgia on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of the military aggression of this state against South Ossetia can be perceived as a continuation of NATO’s provocative course towards absolute support for Tbilisi’s revanchist ambitions towards South Ossetia, and this causes the most serious concern, " the statement says.
As noted by the Foreign Ministry, the tragic events of August 2008 were also preceded by the joint Georgian-American military exercises Immediate Response, and the units of the Georgian army that participated in the hostilities against South Ossetia and suffered a complete defeat, had undergone intensive training for several years before under the NATO standards led by US instructors.
“And whoever tries to convince the international community of the exclusively defensive nature of NATO’s military presence in Georgia, it’s well known how encouraging gestures from its Western patrons can be seen in this country. One cannot help but realize that Georgia’s support in its quest for maximum military expansion cooperation with the NATO bloc has the most negative impact on the existing system of regional stability and security, moreover, given Georgia’s numerous territorial claims against neighboring countries such military and political support, in reality could lead to the creation of a new threat of destabilization and aggravation of tensions in the region, "- the statement says.
