DATE:
14/08/2010
The Kremlin is ready to publish transcript of the CSTO meeting, at which Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he was ready to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a Kremlin aide said on Saturday.
The Belarusian president promised to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 3. Lukashenko made his promise in the presence of several CIS leaders, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.
However, the Russian neighbor has not yet recognized the two former Georgian republics.
Belarus has not recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia because Russia refused to help it cope with the consequences of such a step, the Belarusian president said on August 13.
"With regard to the [possible] recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by the Republic of Belarus, if there is such a desire, we may publish that part of the transcript of [the August 3] CSTO meeting, which contains the Belarusian president's words on the subject," Sergei Prikhodko said.
"It is not Alexander Grigorievich [Lukashenko] to speak about inconsistency. This category applies just to him," Prikhodko said.
Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which both split from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, two weeks after the end of a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008.
The move was heavily criticized by Western powers. So far, only Venezuela, Nicaragua and the tiny island nation of Nauru have followed suit.
MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti)
Source:
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100814/160197430.html
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