Russia accuses NATO countries of increasing tension in Caucasus

Russian officials have accused the Czech Republic and other NATO countries of destabilizing the situation in the Caucasus, the AFP news agency reported on Thursday. The Russian Defence Ministry said that the United States, Turkey, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic were increasing tension in the region by shipping weapons to Georgia. The country is in a dispute with Russia over the separatist provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia which rely on Russian support.