RUSSIA ALLIES FAIL TO BACK MOSCOW ON ENCLAVES

Reuters
04 Sep 2008 11:13:54 GMT

MOSCOW, Sept 4 (Reuters) – A group of Moscow’s ex-Soviet allies
on Thursday stopped short of following Russia’s recognition of two
breakaway regions in Georgia.

While their statement criticised Georgia’s aggression it made no
reference to Russia’s recognition last month of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia as independent states. To date, only Nicaragua has followed
Russia’s lead.

Russia sent troops deep into the Caucasus state last month to prevent
Georgian rebels from being crushed by Tbilisi.

But the defence ministers of the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (ODKB) did not follow Russia’s lead and recognise South
Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, leaving Moscow in almost
complete international isolation.

"The ministers are deeply concerned about Georgia’s military activities
in South Ossetia, which led to multiple civilian casualties … and
a major humanitarian catastrophe," they said in a final statement
following their meeting in Moscow.

The Russia-led ODKB also includes Belarus, Armenia and the Asian
ex-Soviet states of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The West has condemned Russia for the intervention in which its troops
took under control both separatist provinces and seized a large chunk
of Georgian territory outside them.

Russia says it has withdrawn most of its forces from the conflict zone
under a ceasefire deal mediated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

But it has said it will keep a limited number of peacekeepers in
"buffer zones" on Georgian territory proper until an effective security
mechanism involving international monitors is in place.

"The events around South Ossetia showed the danger of double standards
in international relations," the statement said in a clear sign of
support for Russian claims of Western bias in assessing the Georgian
crisis.

The ministerial meeting of ODKB took place ahead of the group’s summit
in Moscow on Friday, at which Russia intends to press for full support
for its actions in Georgia.

Russia’s initial attempt last week to win backing from another friendly
alliance — the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grouping
Russia, China and the four ex-Soviet Asian republics — failed.

China and most ex-Soviet states, some of whom have separatist problems
of their own, declined to back Russia too strongly to avoid irking
the West with which they are trying to build ties.

The ODKB statement, which also acknowledged Russia’s active role as
a security guarantor in the Caucasus, appeared to offer Moscow firmer
support than the SCO document.

But it did not contain any sign that the allies planned to recognise
South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as sought by Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, however, that Moscow
was generally happy with the document.

"It lays the stress in the right place and includes all the right
remarks, including the unacceptable nature of Georgia’s actions
against South Ossetia … the unacceptable nature of double standards,"
he told a news briefing.

(Reporting by Conor Sweeney; Writing by Oleg Shchedrov; Editing by
Jon Boyle and Giles Elgood)