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Decision on Breakaways Condemned
U.S. President George W. Bush has condemned Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, saying it violates numerous UN Security Council resolutions and the French-brokered ceasefire agreement. “Russia's action only exacerbates tensions and complicates diplomatic negotiations,” Bush said. “In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions that remain in force, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia, and they must remain so.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thinks Russia’s decision will complicate the process of working out a political settlement for the crisis in the Security Council. “Russia’s actions in recent weeks call into question Russia’s commitment to peace and security in the Caucasus,” he stated. He called for a return to the August 12 agreement developed by the presidents of Russia and France and its full implementation.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced on August 26 that he had signed a decree recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and he urged other countries to do the same. The UN Security Council had reached a dead end in its attempts to pass a resolution on Georgia in the days leading up to the Russian move. The French delegation unexpectedly stopped work on a document based on the “Medvedev-Sarkozy plan” and introduced a resolution that Russia found unacceptable. Russia made a proposal that echoed the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan, but it was then blocked by the Western countries.
www.kommersant.com
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