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By Margarita Antidze
TBILISI, July 20 (Reuters) - European Council PresidentDonald Tusk criticised Russia on Monday for placing bordermarkers around the breakaway South Ossetia region of Georgia, amove which seemed to put part of an international oil pipelinein territory under Russian control.
Tbilisi has not controlled South Ossetia or Abkhazia,another breakaway region, since fighting a brief war with Moscowin 2008. Both regions host Russian military bases, but mostcountries and the United Nations regard them as part of Georgia.
Russian troops have been installing barbed wire and fencesaround South Ossetia ever since the war. But residents say thesoldiers have now erected border signs up to about 1.5 km (onemile) beyond the administrative border.
"I consider the recent installation of markers along theso-called administrative border with Georgia's breakaway SouthOssetia to be a step in a wrong direction," Tusk told a newsconference after meeting Georgian President GeorgyMargvelashvili. "It's clearly a provocation."
The Georgian president on Monday condemned Russia's actionagain, following official statements from Tbilisi last week.
"Any new barbed wire or a border marker installed on ourterritory was, is and will be unacceptable for us,"Margvelashvili told the news conference. "Any such step ispainful for us."
Georgia condemned the action last week and said part of theBP -operated Baku-Supsa oil pipeline was now in territoryit regards as occupied by Russia. The 830-km (520-mile) pipelineruns from Azerbaijan to the Georgian Black Sea terminal ofSupsa. It can transport up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
Russia did not comment on Georgia's statements.
A former Soviet republic, Georgia is strategically importantto Europe because its pipelines bring in Caspian gas and oil.The country of 3.7 million has no diplomatic relations withRussia but says a foreign policy goal is not to antagoniseMoscow. Nevertheless, it is seeking membership of NATO and theEuropean Union.
Joint military drills with five NATO members called "AgileSpirit 2015" are currently underway in Georgia. Georgiansoldiers along with U.S. marines and platoon-size units fromBulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania are taking part in theexercises at the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi. (Editing by)
