Georgian police hand over Russian army officers Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Zavgorodni (2nd row C) and Major Dmitry Kazantsev (1st row C) to OSCE mediators at the prosecutor's office in Tbilisi October 2, 2006.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIJING, Oct. 3 -- Four Russian military officers accused of spying in Georgia have finally returned home. Georgia handed the four men over to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Monday. But Russia remains unappeased, suspending air, sea and land links with Georgia.

    The handover of the four alleged spies took place in the office courtyard of Georgia's Prosecutor-General.

    Serving as mediator in this transaction, the OSCE chairman called on both sides to maintain peace.

    Karel De Gucht, Belgian Fm & OSCE Chairman said: "I believe that the basic principles of the international law should be respected and I call on both sides to abstain from future provocations and threats of force."

    But Georgia's President added that, despite the desire for good bilateral relations, there are limits to what his country will allow.

    Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgian President said: "Message of Georgia to our great neighbor Russia is enough is enough. We want to have good relations, we want to be constructive, we want to have dialogue."

    And Georgia was equally emphatic it was not withdrawing earlier charges made against the four men. Before handing them over to OSCE officials, Georgian prosecutors read out a statement reaffirming spying accusations.

    The statement told the men they were being expelled from Georgia for spying and would not be allowed re-entry.

    The released officers then boarded a Russian plane for a direct flight to Moscow.

    But Russia remains infuriated with what it sees as Georgia's intransigence. And Moscow authorities have acted to cut all postal, air, road and sea links with Georgia.

    Georgia's response to this has been one of sarcasm, referring to the decision to cut links as "inadequate".

    Relations between Russia and Georgia reached their worst in years last week, when Georgia arrested the four Russian officers on charges of spying.

    The arrests prompted a furious response from Russia, which has put its troops in Georgia on high alert, recalled its ambassador and evacuated its citizens.

(Source: CCTV.com)