SUKHUMI. June 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The Abkhaz authorities have started improving the national system of shoreline equipment, Abkhaz Defense Minister Vyacheslav Eshba said on Wednesday.
"Up-to-date sea surveillance and target detection systems will soon be put in operation all along the sea section of the border controlled by the republic," Eshba told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"Abkhaz border guards have so far been controlling the sea with the help of various visual surveillance assets," he noted.
"Introduction of up-to-date sea control systems is a forced measure that is taken because Georgia has been demonstrating its intention to toughen the sea blockade of Abkhazia more open lately," the defense minister of the self-proclaimed republic said.
He recalled that naval forces of the Georgian State Border Guard Department have repeatedly intercepted the vessels going to Abkhazia and forced them to go for customs examination to the Georgian port of Poti under the pretext of combating illegal transportation of arms, guerillas, drugs and smuggled goods.
Up-to-date sea control assets have been procured "outside the republic and upgraded by local research systems taking into account peculiarities of missions," Eshba said.
"In addition, an exercise of the republic's navy will be held to practice counteraction to the forces that may try to block Abkhaz ports," he stressed.
According to him, Abkhaz First Deputy Prime Minister Astamur Tarba has held a conference that worked out measures to establish interaction between all law-enforcement agencies and other interested parties in maintaining coverage of the sea border.
The Abkhaz Navy consists of three divisions based in Sukhumi, Pitsunda and Ochamchira respectively. They are armed with Grif patrol boats and a few pleasure boats fitted with artillery systems. The Navy also includes three coastal artillery batteries.