Medvedev urged to recognise rebel provinces

Russian lawmakers today asked President Dimitry Medvedev to recognise the independence of Georgia’s two rebel provinces.

All members of the parliament’s upper chamber voted in favour of proclaiming South Ossetia and Abkhazia independent. The lower chamber was to vote later today.

Currently, neither Russia nor any other member of the United Nations recognises those claims. The vote was not legally binding and it was up to the president to make the final call.

The vote follows a brief war between Russia and Georgia, following Georgia’s assault on the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali on August 7.

Russian forces overwhelmed the Georgians, and for nearly two weeks occupied positions deep within the small South Caucasus country.

Most of those forces withdrew last week, although they continue to operate near the Black Sea port of Poti and in so-called security zones outside the boundaries of the breakaway regions.

The West has criticised Russia’s failure to withdraw to positions it occupied before the conflict.

“Neither Abkhazia ... nor South Ossetia will be part of the Georgian sate,” Abkhazia Leader Sergei Bagapsh told lawmakers from the upper chamber before the vote.