FCO: Britons should leave Georgia immediately

Sunday, 10 August 2008 12:00 AM

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has urged British citizens in Georgia to "leave as soon as possible".

Travel advice to the eastern European state has been amended after the country became embroiled in a conflict with neighbouring Russia over the region of South Ossetia.

Thousands of people have died after violence broke out on August 6th and both sides have moved tanks into the region and launched operations with heavy artillery.

In a statement, the FCO said: "We advise against non-essential travel to Georgia. If you or your family have no urgent need to remain in Georgia you should leave as soon as possible. It is wise to do so while some air services are still available and the border remains open.

"We advise against all travel to the separatist regions of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and also the upper Kodori Valley (also known as upper Abkhazia).

"Serious fighting continues in the conflict zone of South Ossetia. There have also been aerial bombardments of Georgian military installations outside the conflict zone at the Black Sea port of Poti, the military bases at Vaziani, Senaki and Marneuli," it added.

A large number of ethnic Russians live in Southern Ossetia, and Russia has vowed to protect them from harm. Georgia considers the population, who have voted for independence in an unofficial referendum in 2006, as separatists and has been accused by Russia of violating the ceasefire by sending troops into the area.

Georgia became independent from its neighbour in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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• foreign policy