Russian ambassador defends recognition of South Ossetia, Abkhazia

Source: Xinhua | 08-29-2008 16:29

BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian Ambassador to China Sergey Razov said on Thursday the "direct cause" of Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia's independence was the "acts of Georgian leaders".

Razov said it was the only possible decision by the Russian Federation to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"In history, military action should be stopped during the Olympic Games, but on Aug. 8, the Georgian armed forces launched a perfidious attack on South Ossetia," he said.

"During the 14 hours before the Russian army sent reinforcements to its peacekeeping forces, gunfire completely destroyed Tskhinvali, the capital of the republic, and 10 South Ossetian villages, leaving some 2,000 people dead, including Russian citizens, and more than 37,000 homeless.

"In the first several hours of the Georgian military's attack, 12 of the Russian peacekeepers who were carrying out peacekeeping missions in this area according to the international authorization approved by the Georgian leaders were killed, and 70 of them wounded. At the same time, Georgia's military action against Abkhazia was also under preparation."

Razov said the activities of Georgia had met with strong resistance from the South Ossetian and Abkhazian peoples and been thrown back by reinforced peacekeeping forces of Russia.