Russian MP Calls for Economic Pressure on Georgia

(Tbilisi, March 21, Civil Georgia) – Chairman of Russian Duma Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Dmitri Ragozin stated on March 21, that attempts are made to involve Russia in the armed conflict in Abkhazia.

Recent attack on Russian peacekeepers and their kidnapping is the attempt to aggravate situation in the conflict zone, Ragozin stated Russian news agency Itar-Tass reports.

“I don’t know on what basis we should now be supplying the Georgian leadership with oil, gas and all the rest,” he added.

“If the lever of economic pressure is not put into action we will get an expansion of military action in the Caucasus, into which the North Caucasus will also be drawn,” Ragozin states.

Ragozin said that summit on combating terrorism will be held in St. Petersburg on March 27, where 400-500 parliamentarians including from European Parliament, will participate. Situation in Georgia will be in the agenda of the summit too, Russian MP stated.