Venezuela's Chavez Recognizes Breakaway Georgian Regions as Independent
By VOA News
10 September 2009
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he will now recognize the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries.
Mr. Chavez said Thursday Venezuela will soon open diplomatic relations with the two breakaway regions. The announcement came during a meeting at Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's residence outside Moscow.
Venezuela has now joined Russia and Nicaragua as the only countries to have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent, following Russia's war with Georgia last year.
Mr. Medvedev thanked Mr. Chavez for the decision.
In Washington. a senior State Department official said Venezuelan recognition of the two regions would be unfortunate and reaffirmed U.S. support for Georgia's territorial integrity.
He noted that other nations uphold Georgia's position on the issue, and said the United States is focusing on stabilizing the region, and reintegrating Abkhazia and South Ossetia into Georgia.
Mr. Chavez is in Moscow on his eighth visit since 2001. The two counties are signing a number of bilateral agreements covering science, economics, military cooperation, and plans for Russia to help Venezuela develop its Orinoco oil fields.
Wednesday night, Mr. Chavez kicked off the visit with a speech at a Moscow University accusing the United States of efforts to dominate the world.
Calling the U.S. a "terrorist" empire, Mr. Chavez also praised Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for standing up to the U.S.
Mr. Chavez arrived in Moscow Wednesday from Belarus, where he also signed a series of bilateral agreements.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
