Russia Officially Suspends All Transport, Postal Links with Georgia

俄罗斯正式暂停同格鲁吉亚所有交通及邮政联系

Russia has suspended all transport and postal links with neighboring Georgia in retaliation for Tbilisi's detention last week of four Russian military officers accused of spying. Tuesday's suspension comes hours after Georgian authorities freed the four officers in what they called a "goodwill gesture."

Georgian officials turned over the Russians to diplomats from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Despite the sanctions, Russian president Vladimir Putin Monday ordered a long-planned pullout of Russian troops from Georgia to continue. The Russian forces are expected to leave by the end of 2008.

The U.S. State Department welcomed the Russians' release and urged both countries to avoid friction. Georgia arrested the officers last week. Georgian television broadcast videotape it says show the Russians meeting with their contacts. Russia has denied the spy charges. Mr. Putin called the arrests "state terrorism."

俄罗斯暂时中断了同邻国格鲁吉亚的所有交通和邮政联系，以报复第比利斯上星期拘押4名被控从事间谍活动的俄罗斯军官。在格鲁吉亚当局释放了这4名俄罗斯军官，作为他们所称的“友好姿态”几个小时以后，俄罗斯星期二做出暂停决定。

格鲁吉亚官员将这些俄罗斯人交给了欧洲安全与合作组织的外交官。尽管实施了制裁，俄罗斯总统普京星期一还是下令继续按早就制定的计划从格鲁吉亚撤出俄罗斯军队。俄罗斯部队预计将在2008年年底前撤出。

美国国务院对俄罗斯军官获释表示欢迎，并敦促这两个国家避免发生磨擦。格鲁吉亚上星期逮捕这些军官。格鲁吉亚电视台播出了录像画面，并说显示这些俄罗斯人正在同线人接头。俄罗斯否认了间谍指控。普京称逮捕行动是“国家恐怖主义”。