Georgian top-level officials warned Russian lawmakers on December 6 against passing a draft resolution recognizing breakaway South Ossetia's independence referendum.

The State Duma is expected to launch hearings on two separate draft resolutions, one calling for officially recognizing breakaway South Ossetia’s November 12 independence referendum and another dealing with breakaway Abkhazia's parliament’s request for Russia to recognize the region’s independence.
 
“I hope that our Russian counterparts will not take such a step, which is absolutely unacceptable in terms of international law and standards, to say nothing about the commitments undertaken by Russia in bilateral and multilateral agreements with Georgia. However, if the Russian State Duma still accepts this decision, the world will see once again with whom Georgia has to deal with and what real interests are behind that pressure which Russia exerts on Georgia,” Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze told reporters.

Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said that it will be “a big mistake” if Russian lawmakers pass the resolutions.

“I call on the Russian side to think seriously about what it is doing and what it is going to do. However, I do not want to outpace the events. I want to see whether this process is realistic. But, still I think it would be a big mistake,” Bezhuashvili said.