MOSCOW/SUKHUMI. July 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia began scheduled military exercises on Monday.
"The exercises will last until the end of the week and involve all of Abkhazia arms," Abkhaz Deputy Defense Minister Garri Kupalba told Interfax-Military News Agency by telephone on Monday.
He said that command-post exercises will be held at the initial stage of the maneuvers. The troops will learn to work together, and will end the exercise with shooting practice, Kupalba said.
"The exercises will be held outside the zone controlled by Russian peacekeepers and UN military observers. UN representatives will be officially informed about the beginning of the exercises today," said Kupalba.
He said Abkhazia holds large-scale military exercise twice a year. The previous exercises took place in February.
Abkhazia, like South Ossetia, is legally a province of Georgia. But in the 1990s it gained de-facto independence. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has stepped up efforts to restore central control over the province.