US Ship Brings Aid, Russian Parliament Resolves Breakaways' Independence & Cheney Heads to Region

Russian Parliament Backs Georgian Separatists
ABC.net.au

The Russian Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to recognise the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, while President Dmitry Medvedev linked the Georgia conflict to tensions over another separatist region.

Both houses of Russia's Parliament convened for emergency sessions to consider their stance on the future status of the two disputed regions in Georgia.

With Russian troops still inside Georgia and tensions heightened by the arrival in a Georgian port of a US warship carrying aid, Russia's two Parliament chambers approved a resolution calling on Mr Medvedev formally to recognise the two regions.

Only the president can officially recognise a foreign state and so far, there has been no response to the vote from the Kremlin.

The Duma and Federation Council held special sessions to debate the region's calls for recognition.

The two regions are internationally recognised as part of Georgia, where Russian troops rolled in on August 8 to fight off a Georgian offensive to retake South Ossetia.

'Genocide'

Addressing the Federation Council, South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said Russia had saved his region from "genocide".

He asserted there was more political and legal legitimacy to recognising South Ossetia's independence than there had been for Kosovo, the Serbian province which broke free with EU and US backing.

The Abkhaz separatist leader, Sergei Bagapsh, said: "Neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia will ever again live in one state with Georgia".

The European Union, which has criticised Russia's military intervention, called a special summit on the Georgia crisis. Many European nations expressed concern at the Russian Parliament vote to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent.

The Russian President has signalled his support for independence and he has mentioned the South Ossetia case when he said a dispute with Moldova over the Transdniestr region could be settled.

"It's reasonable to discuss already today the Transdniestr problem. I see good chances for solving it," Mr Medvedev told Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin at a meeting at the Russian leader's Black Sea coastal residence at Sochi.

He said Transdniestr, which lies on Moldova's eastern edge adjoining Ukraine, should be viewed in the context of the battle with Georgia.

Events in South Ossetia showed "how dangerous such so-called frozen conflicts can be, given that the Georgian leadership, as they say, went crazy," Mr Medvedev said, quoted by Interfax news agency.

"This is a serious warning for us all. It is in this context that we should view the question of Transdniestr resolution," the Russian leader said.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would be "an attempt to change Europe's borders by force," in an interview with French newspaper Liberation.

Meanwhile, the United States has announced that its Vice President, Dick Cheney, will travel to Georgia next week.

President George W Bush has also asked Mr Cheney to head to Ukraine and Azerbaijan for what the White House says will be discussions with key partners on issues of mutual interest.

Mr Cheney will be the most senior US official to visit the region since Russian troops crossed into Georgia more than two weeks ago.