Russia makes no secret of military cooperation with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, RF Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“The agreement-based cooperation pursues the sole purpose of guaranteeing the safety of young Transcaucasian republics as well as regional stability,” Andrei Nesterenko stated.

“The issue has gained urgency in view of August 2008 tragic events and current revanchist sentiments in Georgia,” he said. “S-300 missile system is a regular armament of Abkhazian military base. Deployed in autumn 2008 in Abkhazia, S-300 is meant for strictly defensive purposes and cannot destabilize the region.”