The Russian Foreign Ministry said that it took seriously Tbilisi’s denial of reports about plans to set up training center for Syrian rebels in Georgia and warned that such a decision would have had “negative consequences” on the ongoing “normalization” of Georgian-Russian relations. 

“Moscow has paid attention on media reports some time ago about plans to create American training camp in Georgia for the training of militants of the Syrian opposition,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on October 2.

“Needles to say that such a decision, if it was made by Tbilisi, would have seriously damaged stability and security in the South Caucasus, close to the Russian border. Negative consequences would have been inevitable for the successful continuation of ongoing process of normalization of the Russian-Georgian relations.”

“We have taken seriously official denial voiced in Tbilisi, including by PM Garibashvili. We will follow closely this issue,” the Russian MFA said.