Russia recognizes S. Ossetia, Abkhazia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Moscow has recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "This is not an easy decision, but it is the only way to protect people's lives," Medvedev said in a televised address, according to RIA Novosti. Russia recognizes S. Ossetia, Abkhazia Russia will defend Abkhazia and South Ossetia with all necessary support if they come under attack, Medvedev said later on Tuesday, according to the Russian news agency. "Under the decree recognizing independence of both republics, which I have signed, our country will help Abkhazia and South Ossetia to ensure their security and if they are attacked we will certainly offer them appropriate support," Medvedev told CNN. The president said that recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was in line with international law, adding that during the independence debate in Kosovo, Russia's western partners said Kosovo was a special case. "Each case of recognizing independence is a special case," he said, "A special case in Kosovo, a special case in Abkhazia and South Ossetia." The United States and the EU have already condemned Russia's decision as "unacceptable and regrettable". U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Russia's decision to recognize two breakaway Georgian territories "extremely unfortunate." Rice Tuesday said the United States will use its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to block any Russian attempt to change the status of the pro-Russian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. She spoke in the West Bank city of Ramallah, as European leaders uniformly criticized the Russian move. France called the recognition "regrettable," while Britain issued a statement rejecting the Russian move. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the Russian move "absolutely unacceptable." Earlier, U.S. President George Bush urged Russia not to opt for the recognitions. Bush's comments came after Russia's parliament passed a non-binding motion calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to support the enclaves' independence bid. The U.S. has said such recognition would be contrary to international law and has pledged to stand by Georgia. Russia and Georgia fought a brief war this month over the two provinces. Moscow launched a counter-attack after Tbilisi tried to retake South Ossetia from rebels by military force. The U.S. and a number of Western governments have backed Georgia, sending aid and issuing strongly-worded statements. In a statement, Bush called on Russia's leadership to "meet its commitments and not recognize these separatist regions". "The United States will continue to stand with the people of Georgia and their democracy and to support its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. The U.S. state department has said recognition of the two provinces' independence would be "a violation of Georgian territorial integrity" and "inconsistent with international law". Leaders from Germany, the UK and Italy also expressed concern that the vote would raise tensions further in the Caucasus. Yesterday, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said Russian troops remain in areas of Georgia beyond South Ossetia. "They're still not in compliance with the cease-fire agreement. They've established a number of checkpoints near [the port city of] Poti. And we're very concerned about what Russia is not doing, and that's pulling its forces out in accordance with the cease-fire agreement," said Wood. VOA reported that Wood rejected as unacceptable calls by the two houses of the Russian parliament for Moscow to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Wood said "Russia needs to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, which are enshrined in a number of international agreements to which Moscow is a party". White House spokesman Tony Fratto also reacted yesterday, by saying, "We're reviewing our entire relationship with Russia, both for the medium term and the long term". "The status of those two regions in Georgia are not a matter for any one country to decide. They're a matter for the international community, through the mechanisms at the United Nations," the AFP quoted him as saying. Meanwhile Alexander Stubb, the head of the European security organization, the OSCE, has accused Russia of trying to empty South Ossetia of Georgians. He told the BBC that OSCE military observers were trying to visit as much of South Ossetia as possible to clarify the situation. "They are clearly trying to empty southern Ossetia from Georgians, which I don't think goes by any of the books that we deal with in international relations," he said. Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have effectively been independent since breaking away in the early 1990s. While they have enjoyed Russian economic and diplomatic support, and military protection, no foreign state has yet recognized them as independent states. On the ground, most of Russia's forces pulled out of Georgia last Friday. But some troops continue to operate near the Black Sea port of Poti, south of Abkhazia, where Russia says it will carry out regular inspections of cargo, fuelling speculation that Moscow is imposing an economic stranglehold on Georgia. Troops also continue to operate in buffer zones that Russia controversially set up within undisputed Georgian territory. France's President Nicolas Sarkozy said at the weekend that, under the terms of the ceasefire he had helped broker, troops from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) would move into these buffer zones. But senior Russian officials now say they never agreed to allow international peacekeepers to patrol in the zones, and also say they will not allow aerial reconnaissance over the zones. President Dmitry Medvedev (Beta)

Russia recognizes S. Ossetia, Abkhazia

Russia will defend Abkhazia and South Ossetia with all necessary support if they come under attack, Medvedev said later on Tuesday, according to the Russian news agency.

"Under the decree recognizing independence of both republics, which I have signed, our country will help Abkhazia and South Ossetia to ensure their security and if they are attacked we will certainly offer them appropriate support," Medvedev told CNN.

The president said that recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was in line with international law, adding that during the independence debate in Kosovo, Russia's western partners said Kosovo was a special case.

"Each case of recognizing independence is a special case," he said, "A special case in Kosovo, a special case in Abkhazia and South Ossetia."

The United States and the EU have already condemned Russia's decision as "unacceptable and regrettable".

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Russia's decision to recognize two breakaway Georgian territories "extremely unfortunate."

Rice Tuesday said the United States will use its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to block any Russian attempt to change the status of the pro-Russian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. She spoke in the West Bank city of Ramallah, as European leaders uniformly criticized the Russian move.

France called the recognition "regrettable," while Britain issued a statement rejecting the Russian move. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the Russian move "absolutely unacceptable."

Earlier, U.S. President George Bush urged Russia not to opt for the recognitions.

Bush's comments came after Russia's parliament passed a non-binding motion calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to support the enclaves' independence bid.

The U.S. has said such recognition would be contrary to international law and has pledged to stand by Georgia.

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war this month over the two provinces.

Moscow launched a counter-attack after Tbilisi tried to retake South Ossetia from rebels by military force.

The U.S. and a number of Western governments have backed Georgia, sending aid and issuing strongly-worded statements.

In a statement, Bush called on Russia's leadership to "meet its commitments and not recognize these separatist regions".

"The United States will continue to stand with the people of Georgia and their democracy and to support its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

The U.S. state department has said recognition of the two provinces' independence would be "a violation of Georgian territorial integrity" and "inconsistent with international law".

Leaders from Germany, the UK and Italy also expressed concern that the vote would raise tensions further in the Caucasus.

Yesterday, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said Russian troops remain in areas of Georgia beyond South Ossetia.

"They're still not in compliance with the cease-fire agreement. They've established a number of checkpoints near [the port city of] Poti. And we're very concerned about what Russia is not doing, and that's pulling its forces out in accordance with the cease-fire agreement," said Wood.

VOA reported that Wood rejected as unacceptable calls by the two houses of the Russian parliament for Moscow to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Wood said "Russia needs to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, which are enshrined in a number of international agreements to which Moscow is a party".

White House spokesman Tony Fratto also reacted yesterday, by saying, "We're reviewing our entire relationship with Russia, both for the medium term and the long term".

"The status of those two regions in Georgia are not a matter for any one country to decide. They're a matter for the international community, through the mechanisms at the United Nations," the AFP quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile Alexander Stubb, the head of the European security organization, the OSCE, has accused Russia of trying to empty South Ossetia of Georgians.

He told the BBC that OSCE military observers were trying to visit as much of South Ossetia as possible to clarify the situation.

"They are clearly trying to empty southern Ossetia from Georgians, which I don't think goes by any of the books that we deal with in international relations," he said.

Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have effectively been independent since breaking away in the early 1990s.

While they have enjoyed Russian economic and diplomatic support, and military protection, no foreign state has yet recognized them as independent states.

On the ground, most of Russia's forces pulled out of Georgia last Friday.

But some troops continue to operate near the Black Sea port of Poti, south of Abkhazia, where Russia says it will carry out regular inspections of cargo, fuelling speculation that Moscow is imposing an economic stranglehold on Georgia.

Troops also continue to operate in buffer zones that Russia controversially set up within undisputed Georgian territory.

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy said at the weekend that, under the terms of the ceasefire he had helped broker, troops from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) would move into these buffer zones.

But senior Russian officials now say they never agreed to allow international peacekeepers to patrol in the zones, and also say they will not allow aerial reconnaissance over the zones.