Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Russia establishes diplomatic ties with South Ossetia, Abkhazia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-09 21:16

MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday officially established diplomatic relations with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov makes a statement on the results of the talks between Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy in Moscow, September 9, 2008. [Agencies]

"We exchanged notes on the establishment of diplomatic relations," Lavrov said following talks with senior officials from the two breakaway regions of Georgia in Moscow.

Related readings:  Russia agrees troop withdrawal from Georgia heartland  Medvedev: Russia ready for Georgia buffer pullout  US holds off on civilian nuclear pact with Russia  Medvedev: 'Russia is a nation to be reckoned with'

Russia establishes relations with the two new republics at the level of embassies, Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying.

"This will facilitate the promotion of peace and security and all countries of the region, including Georgia will benefit from it," said the top Russian diplomat.

Georgian troops launched a sudden attack against South Ossetia on early August 8 to reclaim control over the Caucasus region, but were driven out of there by Russian forces.

The military conflict was stopped on August 12 with a France-brokered ceasefire pact in which Moscow promised to pull out its troops.

Moscow recognized the two regions as independent states on August 26.

FM: Russian troops to stay in Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Russian troops will stay in Abkhazia and South Ossetia for a long time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"Russian troops will be there for a long time. It is absolutely necessary in the foreseeable future in order to prevent relapses of aggressive actions," Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy agreed on Monday to withdraw Russian troops from buffer zone near South Ossetia and a Black Sea port and deploy international forces there, but not from the two Georgian breakaway regions.

Georgian troops launched a sudden attack against South Ossetia on early August 8 to reclaim control over the Caucasus region, but was driven out of there by Russian forces.

The military conflict was stopped on August 12 with a France-brokered ceasefire pact in which Moscow promised to pull out its troops.

Lavrov said that there will be "an agreement that will create an international legal base for the presence of Russian troops on the territories of the republics" in the next few days.

"This will be Russian troops rather than peacekeepers. Their number on the South Ossetian and Abkhaz territories will be enough to respond to possible relapses of aggression," he said.