The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned the decision by Venezuelan “dictator” Hugo Chavez to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as “an extremely unfriendly” move and said it hoped Venezuela would retract its decision after “democratically elected” government comes into power in that country.

Few hours after Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, made announcement about the recognition at a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on September 10, the Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, which said that “such violation of norms and principles of international law will be counter-productive for Venezuela itself.”

The Foreign Ministry said Tbilisi was sure that the Venezuelan leader made such decision in exchange of Moscow’s pledge to give Venezuela “hundreds of millions in credit and great amount of armament.”

“It is regrettable that Russia’s irresponsible authorities are wasting taxes paid by population of the Russian Federation, which lives on the verge of poverty, on satisfying ephemeral foreign policy whims,” the statement reads.
 
“We are sure that after this decision by the Venezuelan dictator, the states respecting international law will further consolidate around supporting the principle of Georgia’s territorial integrity,” the statement reads. “We want to emphasize that this decision by the Venezuelan dictator cannot influence Georgia’s international legal status and its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its international borders.”
 
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega followed Russia’s suit and recognized two breakaway regions as independent states in September, 2008.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that in “this company” of Nicaraguan and Venezuelan leaders, Russia’s foreign policy “is doomed for self-isolation.”