http://www.interfax.com/com?item=Geor&pg=0&id=5745227&req=,
Poti: The Georgian navy is ready to obey President Mikheil Saakashvili's order aimed at preventing any vessels, apart from ships on humanitarian missions that have permission from Georgia's authorities, from entering territorial waters near the self- proclaimed republic of Abkhazia, Koba Bochorishvili, commander of the Poti marine division of the Georgian coast guard service, told Interfax on Wednesday.
“We did receive the president's order that vessels that have violated the border should be stopped in territorial waters near the Abkhaz coasts and that fire should be opened on them if they disobey orders,” Bochorishvili said. This warning also applies to passenger boats that could travel from Sochi to Sukhumi, he said.
“Fire should be opened on all vessels that enter the Sukhumi port without the Georgian authorities' agreement. They should be sunk,” the Georgian president said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“We will do everything in our power to stop such vessels,” he said. “No fire will be opened on people. But there are plenty of ways to disable a trespassing vessel,” he said.
The decision to ban ships from entering the closed area near the Abkhaz coasts does not violate agreements on settling the conflict in Abkhazia, Bochorishvili said.
“We have all the modern capabilities, including radar, to detect trespassing vessels. That is why we do not advise anybody to stage blatant provocative acts by entering the territorial waters of another state,” he said.
The Georgian navy currently has 40 warships, including missile- carrying vessels. The fleet has been conducting patrol missions along Georgia's sea borders in recent months.
