http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080826/116286788.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
August 26, 2008
Russia recognizes Georgia's breakaway republics
MOSCOW - Russia's president signed decrees on Tuesday
recognizing Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia and
Abkhazia as independent states and called on other
countries to follow suit.
"This is not an easy decision, but it is the only way
to protect people's lives,"Dmitry Medvedev said in a
televised address.
Both houses of Russia's parliament voted unanimously
on Monday on a resolution asking the Russian president
to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, following requests from the leaders of both
breakaway republics.
The move will further worsen Russia's relations with
the West, already strained over Moscow's response to
Georgia's attack earlier this month to retake South
Ossetia.
U.S. President George W. Bush and German Chancellor
Angela Merkel warned Medvedev against the move on
Monday, urging him to respect Georgia's territorial
integrity.
Russian officials have said Georgia lost its right to
the two regions after launching a military offensive
that killed hundreds of people and forced thousands to
flee devastated South Ossetia.
Serbian News Network - SNN
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