Georgia's U.N. ambassador accused Russia on Wednesday of taking part in genocide and ethnic cleansing in the breakaway &to=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/92/371/14871_abkhazia.html' target=_blank>Abkhazia region, the latest in an escalating war of words between the two nations.
Ambassador &to=http://english.pravda.ru/region/2002/09/12/36465.html' target=_blank>Revaz Adamia repeated past claims that Russian peacekeepers have sided with separatists in Abkhazia and accused Moscow of seeking independence for the tiny province, which has run its own affairs since 1993.
He pushed the rhetoric up a notch, however, saying that &to=http://english.pravda.ru/accidents/21/96/382/16317_Nalchik.html' target=_blank>Russian troops participated in ethnic cleansing and genocide because more than 300,000 ethnic Georgians have been expelled from Abkhazia and some 10,000 were killed during fighting there.
"I'm sure there was genocide and ethnic cleansing," Adamia said, later adding: "Russia participated in that with their militaries (and) mercenaries."
The remarks come as leaders in &to=http://english.pravda.ru/accidents/21/96/382/16782_gas.html' target=_blank>Georgia have sought closer ties with the West and traded barbs recently with Russia. Georgia accused Russia of involvement in a pipeline explosion last month that cut supplies of natural gas during a cold snap, while Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the Georgian leadership was "spitting" on Russia and warned their action would backfire, reports AP.
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