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Nato to begin Georgia exercises Nato kicks off Georgia exercises
(about 2 hours later)
Nato is to start a series of military exercises in Georgia, a day after the government thwarted an attempt by its own soldiers to stage a mutiny. A series of Nato military exercises has begun in Georgia, amid angry condemnation from Russia.
Soldiers from 18 countries are taking part in the drills at a Georgian army base close to the capital, Tbilisi.Soldiers from 18 countries are taking part in the drills at a Georgian army base close to the capital, Tbilisi.
But Russia has said the exercises amount to a provocation. Russia, which fought a war against Georgia last year, has condemned the exercises, which President Dmitry Medvedev called "an overt provocation".
They come just nine months after Russia's short war with Georgia and are taking place close to areas where Russian troops are stationed. On Tuesday Georgia put down a mutiny by soldiers, and claimed it had uncovered a Russian-backed coup plot.
More than 1,000 soldiers will take part in the exercises over a period of more than three weeks. 'Misinterpreted'
For Georgia, which has been promised eventual Nato membership, they are a sign that, despite doubts over its candidate status after last year's war with Russia, it has not been forgotten. More than 1,000 soldiers will take part in the Nato exercises over a period of more than three weeks.
Russia views the exercises as a provocation and has turned down an invitation to send observers. They are taking place close to areas where Russian troops are stationed in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.
In recent days its security forces have officially begun patrolling the border between South Ossetia, the epicentre of last summer's conflict, and Georgia. Georgia's defence ministry said Nato would spend the next few days setting up a staff headquarters at the Vaziani base outside the capital Tbilisi.
The Georgian government has repeatedly said Russia's actions are to blame for raising tension in the region. The first exercise, running until 19 May, is described as a "command post" exercise focusing on co-ordinating Nato procedures in a crisis-response situation.
It also accuses Moscow of backing the mutiny at an army base on Tuesday and supporting an alleged coup plot. Russia has denied the allegations. Then a second, larger, exercise, based on peacekeeping training, will run till 3 June.
The Georgian government is hopeful that the Nato exercises will give it a chance to prove to its Western allies that it can host an important international event without further disturbances. Nato has denied the exercises are aimed at Russia or the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"Georgia is just hosting the exercise and nobody should interpret the exercise in a different way and use it for other purposes," said Nato spokeswoman Carmen Romero.
But Armenia, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Moldova - Russian allies which had been invited by Nato to participate in the Georgian manoeuvres - have all pulled out.
Spy row
And relations between Russia and Nato, which broke down following the Georgian war and then appeared to be making a fragile recovery, again seem to be deteriorating.
Russia said on Wednesday it was expelling two Canadian diplomats - a response to Nato's expulsion of two Russians over a spying scandal.
Paul ReynoldsWorld affairs correspondent, BBC News website The best hope for an improvement in Nato-Russia ties lies in talks between Washington and Moscow about nuclear weapons. The two sides have set themselves a deadline of December to reach an agreement. If they do agree that will be an up. But equally there will be downs in future as well. The basic relationship has not been worked out. There is suspicion among Nato members about the authoritarian nature of the Russian government and its determination to exercise influence over its near neighbours. And there is suspicion in Moscow that Nato would like Russia to return to the chaotic days of the 1990s, when Russia was passive and compliant. Insecurity haunts Nato-Russia ties Russia expels Canadian diplomats
Nato has promised eventual membership to Georgia, but has given it no target date for entry. Russia is vehemently opposed to Georgian membership.
The mutiny on Tuesday in Georgia is likely to reinforce in the minds of many Nato members that now is not the time to commit the alliance to the defence of such an unstable country, says the BBC's world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds.
The rebellion erupted on Tuesday morning, when soldiers at a tank battalion began disobeying orders, Georgian officials said.
"The plan was to stage a large-scale mutiny in Tbilisi and to take steps against the sovereignty of Georgia and the Georgian government's European and Euro-Atlantic integration," said President Mikhail Saakashvili.
The interior ministry had earlier said it was part of a Russian-linked coup attempt to kill the president - an allegation described by Russia's envoy to Nato as "mad".