Russian MFA Cites French Interior Minister, Accuses Georgia of Harboring Terrorists

In an information note issued on March 1 the Russian Foreign Ministry states, that ?international terrorist not only find shelter in [Georgia?s] Pankisi gorge, but they also use the venue for plotting terrorist acts.?

The Russian Foreign Ministry?s information note cites the statement made by French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin on March 1 at the Interpol conference in Lion on bio-terrorism.

According to the Russian news agencies Dominique de Villepin said that several al-Qaeda cells have been trained in Afghanistan where they have learned to use biological agents including anthrax, but after the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, those groups continued their experiments in Georgia?s Pankisi Gorge, near the Russian border.
 
But according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry the Russian news agencies have distorted information, as the French Interior Minister has not spoken about the current situation in Pankisi, but was referring to the situation, which existed there in 2002-2003.

French Ambassador to Georgia also said at a news conference in the Georgian Foreign Ministry that French Interior Minister was misquoted.

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, who currently pays visit to Brussels, told Imedi television on March 1 that French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin was speaking about Pankisi ?in the past term and referring to the situation, which existed there in 2002-2003.?

Georgian authorities claim that no terrorist threat is coming from Pankisi after the anti-criminal operation was carried out there in 2002-2003.

But Moscow has recently stepped up accusations over presence of Chechen militants and terrorist groups in Pankisi.

?Moscow has seriously perceived the statement by Interior Minister of France Dominique de Villepin? This information proves those numerous warnings, which were made by the Russian side regarding the fact that international terrorist not only find shelter in Pankisi, but also use the venue for plotting terrorists acts,? the Russian Foreign Ministry?s information note issued on March 1 reads.