Russian border guards Tuesday prevented at least 6,000 people from Georgia and Azerbaijan from entering Chechnia and joining the fight for the breakaway republic's independence, Russian television reported. Many of them were armed.
Russia announced Monday that it was closing the borders to contain the Chechen conflict within the Caucasus Mountain region in southern Russia. Many flights in the region were also cancelled.
Georgian Vice Premier Zurab Kervalishvili said Russia's action was "justifiable and understandable," but only if the border closing is short-term. "If it is going to continue indefinitely, it will have a serious effect on Georgia's economy."
In Azerbaijan, officials said the economic effects of the border closings were already being felt.
Rafael Rzayev, the first deputy chairman of customs, said the border closing dealt a serious blow to the Azerbaijani economy, which relies on trade routes through Russia. "Now, only cars and pedestrians are permitted to cross the Azerbaijani-Russian border," he said.
A spokesman for Russia's border guards said the border closings and the halting of all air and sea traffic in southern Russia were temporary.
The spokesman, Sergei Ivanchenko, said the Russian areas affected by the order were the regions surrounding Chechnya, including Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Astrakhan and Rostov. Azerbaijan and Georgia share a northern border with Russia. They are not completely isolated, however. Georgia's border with Turkey to the south remains open, and the border between Azerbaijan and Iran is also open.
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