GEORGIAN LEADERSHIP THREAT TO REGIONAL PEACE – LAVROV
RIA Novosti
December 24, 2009
Moscow
The Georgian leadership is a threat to peace and security in the
region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
"The current Georgian leadership presents a threat to regional peace
and security, a threat that once grew into a war against South Ossetia
and Russian peacekeepers, against the Russian Federation," Lavrov said.
"That’s why we are doing everything possible to prevent similar
things from happening again, and hope those who continue restoring
the Georgian armed forces are aware of what they are doing and that
they will keep Georgia from continuing new reckless acts," he said
after talks with his Abkhaz counterpart Sergei Shamba.
He added that "after relevant treaties between Russia and Abkhazia
and South Ossetia were concluded, the security of the new independent
states is reliably protected against any attack."
Russia recognized the former Georgian republics in August 2008 after
repelling Georgia’s assault on South Ossetia in a five-day war. Only
Nicaragua, Venezuela and the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru have
followed suit.