On the three-year anniversary of the August war with Georgia, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev, requested on August 8 the legislative body to approve agreements with South Ossetia and Abkhazia on terms of functioning of the Russian military bases in those two breakaway regions, recognized by Moscow two weeks after the end of military operations in 2008.

Moscow signed military treaty with Sokhumi in February, 2010 and with Tskhinvali in April, 2010.

According to those agreements Russia will operate military base in the two breakaway regions for initial term of 49 years.

Meanwhile in Tbilisi, President Saakashvili, together with head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, participated on August 8 in a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial of fallen Georgian soldiers at Mukhadgverdi cemetery in Tbilisi suburb.