Putin Welcomes De Facto Abkhazian, South Ossetian Leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the de facto leaders of Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia – Raul Khajimba and Anatoly Bibilov – to celebrate the “recognition of independence of the two regions” by the Russian Federation which was made on August 26 2008 after the Georgia-Russia War.
The leaders of Russia and breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia held trilateral “talks” in Moscow. According to the De facto South Ossetian media, the meeting was held in the format of a business lunch.
During the conversation, the parties discussed further development of cooperation between the "countries", emphasizing the friendly nature of relations between Russia and occupied Abkhazia and "South Ossetia."
“Bibilov and Khajimba also stressed the importance of the decisions made by the leadership of the Russian Federation in August 2008,” news agency PEC reports.
Abkhazian media says that Putin underlined the celebration of “independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia” is a historical event of great importance for the Russian Federation.
In the aftermath of the August 2008 War, the Russian Federation occupies 20% of Georgian territory and is slowly moving the administrative boundary line, pushing further into Georgia. Russia recognizes the "independence” of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia along with only four other countries - Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru.
The remainder of the international community affirms that the two regions are integral parts of Georgia and call on Russia to revoke its recognition of the breakaway regions and withdraw its forces from Georgian territories.
"Vladimir Putin's meeting with the leaders of Sokhumi and Tskhinvali occupation regimes is continuation of a provocative policy, targeted against Georgia's territorial integrity," said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia David Dondua.
According to him, this is another effort of the Russian Federation to legitimize the illegal consequences of occupation in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.
By Thea Morrison
Photo source: cominf.org