Brussels, 06/08/2009 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the first anniversary of the conflict between Georgia and Russia, which began on 7 August 2008, Georgian authorities accuse Moscow of trying to provoke hostilities. “As we approach the first anniversary of the Russian military aggression against Georgia, it would appear that Russia is increasing its provocation and building up its military resources,” said David Solomonia, Chargé d'affaires at the Georgian Mission to the EU, in Brussels on Thursday 6 August. “Several incidents have taken place over the last few days. We are seeing an escalation on the part of Russia,” he said, calling on the international community to do more to avoid any worsening of the situation. On the ground, on either side of the “border” between Georgia and its pro-Russian breakaway province of South Ossetia, Russians and Georgians accuse one another of acts of provocation. Georgia claims that the Russians moved forward an Ossetian border post, before withdrawing. The Russians say that Georgia mortar shelled the Ossetian capital Tskhinvali. This was just an example of Russian “propaganda”, Solomonia complained. For the moment, Russian troops have been placed on a heightened state of alert on the administrative borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two autonomous Georgian regions which, in the wake of the Russian intervention last year, declared their independence. (B.C./transl.rt)