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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia | |
| Medvedev Backs Independence Bids | |
| 2008-08-15 | |
| President Dmitry Medvedev signaled Thursday that he would support independence bids by Georgia's separatist provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as Russian troops roamed in Georgia proper, prompting outcries that Moscow was violating a truce reached with Tbilisi this week. "We will support any decisions made by the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia ... and not only will we support them, but we will guarantee them both in the Caucasus and throughout the world," Medvedev told Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh and his South Ossetian counterpart, Eduard Kokoity, in the Kremlin. The two separatist leaders were in Moscow to sign a document outlining the principles for a settlement of the Russian-Georgian conflict. Russian troops poured into South Ossetia last Friday, rebuffing an attempt by Georgia's military to reclaim South Ossetia by force. Having routed Georgian units in the separatist region, the troops then moved into Georgia proper, saying it needed to destroy Georgian military bases and positions near the towns of Gori and Senaki to protect South Ossetia from further attacks. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have long sought to be recognized as independent states. Russia never objected to their bids but formally pledged to respect Georgia's territorial integrity.
Lavrov later told Ekho Moskvy radio that mentioning Georgia's territorial integrity in any document connected to the settlement of the conflict would be regarded by South Ossetians and the Abkhaz as a "profound offense of human dignity." | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 What about Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan? How come they don't be gettin no Independence??? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-15 11:48 |
| #2 The "independence" will bite them in their ass. Fucking wannabe Grandmaster... Speaking of which: In an interview on news channel TVN24, Tusk said the United States agreed to help augment Poland’s defenses with Patriot missiles in exchange for placing 10 missile defense interceptors in the eastern European country. He said the deal also includes a “mutual commitment” between the two nations to come to each other’s assistance “in case of trouble.” Talking about the “mutual commitment” part of the agreement, Tusk said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would be too slow in coming to Poland’s defense if threatened and that the bloc would take “days, weeks to start that machinery.” “Poland and the Poles do not want to be in alliances in which assistance comes at some point later _ it is no good when assistance comes to dead people. Poland wants to be in alliances where assistance comes in the very first hours of _ knock on wood _ any possible conflict,” Tusk said. Bessotted by joy now, Pooty, Medvedv, Lavrov? |
| Posted by: Spike Uniter 2008-08-15 05:04 |
| #1 Offense to human dignity? Isn't that the USSR and Russian Empires? Medvedev can FOAD! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-15 00:24 |