Russia edgy over Georgia confrontation

MOSCOW, March 16 (UPI) -- Former Soviet Georgia has clamped down a tough blockade on its pro-Russian autonomous republic of Adzharia, Russian media reported Tuesday.

"A long simmering confrontation between the Georgian government, now led by President Mikhail Saakashvili and the tiny autonomous Adzharian Republic in southwest Georgia seems to be edging towards an armed confrontation," analyst Pavel Felgenhauer warned in the Moscow Times.

This week the forces of Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze "barred Saakashvili from entering Adzharia," Felgenhauer wrote. "Saakashvili in turn demanded that Abashidze's forces lay down their arms and their control of Batumi port" and hand them over to Georgia.

Adzharia is an autonomous republic within Georgia and Russia has supported it against the Georgian government in Tiblisi ever since Georgia became independent in 1992 following the break up of the Soviet Union.

Saakashvili has imposed a tough new economic blockade on Adzharia and is even preventing heating oil vital for the cold winters from getting through.