The U.S Department of State said it “will not recognize the legitimacy of any so-called ‘treaty’ between Georgia’s Abkhazia region and the Russian Federation.”

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Abkhaz leader Raul Khajimba signed on November 24 in Sochi the agreement on “alliance and strategic partnership”, which Tbilisi has condemned as “a step towards annexation” of its breakaway region by Russia.

The Department of State said in a statement, that position of the U.S. on Abkhazia and South Ossetia “remains clear: these regions are integral parts of Georgia, and we continue to support Georgia’s independence, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity.”

“We once again urge Russia to fulfill all of its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement, to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, to reverse its recognition of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, and to provide free access for humanitarian assistance to these regions,” the U.S. Department of State said.

“We renew our full support for the Geneva international discussions as a means to achieving concrete progress on security and humanitarian issues that continue to impact the communities on the ground in Georgia,” it said.