Russia

Parliament backs independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia

Article published on the 2008-08-25 Latest update 2008-08-26 13:58 TU

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and Moldova's President Vladimir Voronin in Sochi, August 25, 2008.

Russia's parliament has voted in favour of recognising the independence of two breakaway regions in neighbouring Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The two regions are, according to international administration, part of Georgia. The final decision lies with President Dmitri Medvedev who aims to resolve a similar issue in Moldova.

The parliament in Moscow has backed the appeals for recognition for independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two seccessionist regions inside of Georgia, and on the border with Russia.

The upper house of parliament, the Federation Council voted unanimously on Monday to back the call from Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the lower house followed suit. However, the decision has no legal status. Both are recognised internationally as part of Georgia.

Analyst Maria Lipmann at the Moscow Carnegie Centre, told RFI that both territories have always made it clear they would never want to go back under Georgian authority.

"Russia has supported both territories for many years now. I think the situation in the two territories are different. Abkhazia I think can be a viable state, South Ossetia cannot," she said.

With support from powerful Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have enjoyed special status as autonomous provinces within Georgia and since the early 1990s.

On another seccessionist issue in the region, Russia's president, Dmitiri Medvedev met Moldovan president Vladimir Voronin on Monday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.  Medvedev said he sees "good chances" for resolving the status of Transnistria which is on the eastern border of Moldova, next to Ukraine. Transdnistria is not generally recognised as independent, but fought an independence war after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. There is a Russian army contingent there, along with a Soviet-era arms dump.

Meanwhile, the troop situation inside Georgia is unclear.  The latest reports say that hundreds of armoured vehicles are moving from a border point at Zaramag in South Ossetia towards Russia. Russia withdrew tanks, artillery and troops from their most advanced positions on Friday. Russia maintains it has fulfilled all obligations under a French-brokered peace agreement.

Russia claims that under the terms of the agreement, it has the right to leave peacekeepers inside Georgia in a buffer zone. France, Britain, Germany, the United States as well as Nato want Russia to pull back further.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who negotiated a peace plan between Russia and Georgia on behalf of the European Union - as France holds the rotating EU presidency - says an EU summit on the crisis in the Caucasus will be held in a week's time, on 1 September.