Georgia formally breaks ties with Russia

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-02 23:59

TBILISI - Georgia on Tuesday formally severed diplomatic relations with Russia in protest against Moscow's recognition of the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, the Foreign Ministry said.

Georgia's Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze (L) and European Parliament's President Hans-Gert Poettering give a news conference after their meeting at the EU Parliament Headquarters in Brussels September 1, 2008. European Union leaders agreed on Monday to postpone talks on a new EU-Russia partnership due later this month until Moscow withdraws its troops to pre-conflict positions in Georgia, officials said. [Agencies]

The ministry said in a statement that it summoned Russia's envoy in Georgia, Andrei Smaga, and handed him a note informing Russia of Tbilisi's decision to terminate diplomatic relations with Moscow in light of "Russia's hostile actions."

Georgia will maintain consular relations with Russia, the ministry said.

Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, breaking off diplomatic ties does not automatically lead to a cut in consular relations.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry's note required the Russian Embassy in Georgia to stop its work on Wednesday, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Moscow last week recognized Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states after a military conflict with Georgia in early August.

The conflict ended with a ceasefire agreement between Tbilisi and Moscow brokered by France.

Tbilisi said last week that it would break diplomatic relations with Moscow after the military conflict and Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia ends pullout from Georgian breakaway regions

Russia has completed the withdrawal of its troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to their permanent location, Itar-Tass news agency reported Tuesday, citing a military source.

"The Russian military completed the pullback of army units from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Russian territory," said the deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn.

All those troops have been pulled out of South Ossetia as of 15:00 Moscow time (1200 GMT), he said.

Moscow last week recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway regions of Georgia, as independent states after a military conflict with Georgia in early August when Georgian troops entered South Ossetia to reclaim control over the Caucasus region.

The conflict ended with a ceasefire agreement between Tbilisi and Moscow brokered by France.