Bush Tells Russia not to Recognize Abkhazia, S.Ossetia
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 26 Aug.'08 / 10:59

U.S. President George W. Bush has called on his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, not to recognize breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Russia’s upper and lower houses of Parliament passed a non-binding resolution on August 25, calling for the two breakaway regions' recognition.

“I am deeply concerned by today's appeal to President Medvedev by Russia's Federation Council and Duma, the upper and lower houses of Russia's parliament, to recognize the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries,” the U.S. president said in a statement on August 25.

“Georgia's territorial integrity and borders must command the same respect as every other nation's, including Russia's,” he said.

Bush said that Russia had undertaken a commitment under the French-brokered ceasefire agreement to open “international discussions on security and stability modalities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”

“This represents an internationally endorsed approach to these issues which recognition would undercut,” he said. “Recognition would also be inconsistent with unanimously approved United Nations Security Resolutions that Russia has consistently voted for in the past. The United States will continue to stand with the people of Georgia and their democracy and to support its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

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