Foreign,Commonwealth and Development Office
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Russia/Georgia:Statement from the Foreign Secretary
Today's announcement by President Medvedev that Russia will recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia is unjustifiable and unacceptable. It will also not work. It is contrary to the principles of the peace agreement, which Russia recently agreed, and to recent Russian statements. It takes no account of the views of the hundreds of thousands of Georgians and others who have been forced to abandon their homes in the two territories.
Today's announcement further inflames an already tense situation in the region. We fully support Georgia's independence and territorial integrity, which cannot be changed by decree from Moscow. We again call on Russia to abide by international law as the basis for resolving this crisis; and to implement urgently and in full Russia's commitments to withdraw forces from Georgia to pre-7 August positions.
I am holding talks today with international partners and will be visiting Ukraine tomorrow to ensure the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia.
Press Office,
Downing Street (West),
London SW1A 2AL
