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Russia hits back at G7 criticism | Russia hits back at G7 criticism |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Criticism by the G7 group of nations of Russia's actions in Georgia is biased and groundless, Russian officials say. | |
The G7 was trying to justify Georgian aggression towards the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. | The G7 was trying to justify Georgian aggression towards the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. |
The G7 bloc, which includes the US, UK and France, had said Russia's decision to recognise the two regions as independent broke international law. | |
Russia and Georgia fought a brief war earlier this month over the issue. | Russia and Georgia fought a brief war earlier this month over the issue. |
The ministry accused the G7 of making "baseless assertions about Russia undermining Georgia's territorial integrity". | |
"This step is biased and is aimed at justifying the aggressive actions of Georgia," the ministry said. | "This step is biased and is aimed at justifying the aggressive actions of Georgia," the ministry said. |
Although Russia is not part of the G7, it has close ties with the bloc and is a member of its sister grouping, the G8. | |
Putin 'not rational' | |
The statement comes as officials in the Moscow-backed governments of both provinces hinted at closer ties with Russia. | |
South Ossetia's parliamentary speaker Znaur Gassiyev said Russia would absorb the region within "several years", according to a report by the Associated Press. SOUTH OSSETIA & ABKHAZIA South Ossetia Population: About 70,000 (before recent conflict)Capital: TskhinvaliPresident: Eduard Kokoity Abkhazia Population: About 250,000 (2003)Capital: SukhumiPresident: Sergei Bagapsh Q&A: Conflict in GeorgiaRussia's propaganda warfare | |
He said the move had been agreed at high-level talks in Moscow earlier this week. | |
The Russian Interfax news agency reported that Moscow will sign an agreement next week allowing it to set up military bases in the region. | |
And Interfax also quoted Abkhazia's foreign minister, Sergei Shamba, as saying his province "may become part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus". | |
The Kremlin has not yet commented on the reports, though the Foreign Ministry is due to hold a press conference later. | |
The claims come a day after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stoked up the war of words with the US. | |
He told CNN there was a "suspicion" that the Georgian conflict was created by someone in the US in the hope of benefitting one of the candidates in the presidential elections. | He told CNN there was a "suspicion" that the Georgian conflict was created by someone in the US in the hope of benefitting one of the candidates in the presidential elections. |
The White House dismissed Mr Putin's assertions as "not rational". | The White House dismissed Mr Putin's assertions as "not rational". |
The conflict in the region began on 7 August when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes. | |
Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. | |
An EU-brokered ceasefire brought a formal end to the conflict, although each side has accused the other of breaking the agreement. |