MOSCOW, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Russia neither fears nor
seeks a new Cold War, but it depends on the West whether such a war will break
out again, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday.
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev
speaks during his interview with the BBC at his presidential residence in
the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Aug. 26, 2008.(Xinhua/AFP
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
"We are not afraid of anything, including the
prospect of a new Cold War, but we don't want one, and in this situation
everything depends on the position of our partners," Medvedev told the
RussiaToday television.
If they want to sustain a good relationship with
Russia, they will understand why Moscow recognized the independence of
Abkhaziaand South Ossetia, he said.
Medvedev also said that U.S. presidential candidates
may make use of the current situation in their election campaigns, although
"voters are indifferent to events abroad."
The president reiterated that recognizing the
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was in line with the international
law.
"Each case of recognizing independence is a special
case," Medvedev said, noting Russia's Western partners said Kosovo was a special
case during its independence debate.
Earlier in the day, Medvedev signed decrees
recognizing the independence of South AOssetia and bkhazia, the two breakaway
regions of neighboring Georgia.
The move, which was slammed by some Western
countries, will further strain Russia's ties with the West, already deteriorated
due to the recent clashes in South Ossetia.
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (L)
and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attend a meeting in Russia's Defence
Ministry headquarters in Moscow, in this Aug. 11, 2008 file photo.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
MOSCOW, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev on Tuesday signed decrees recognizing the independence of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia, the two breakaway regions of neighboring Georgia.
The move is in keeping with fundamental international
laws and shows Russian support to the expression of "free will" by the Ossetian
and Abkhazian peoples, Medvedev said in a televised address, according to
Itar-Tass news agency. Full story
TBILISI, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian lawmakers' call for
their country's recognition of the independence of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia
and South Ossetia regions is a "serious mistake", Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili said Monday.
The decision will lead to "serious consequences" and will
not benefit Russia, said Saakashvili, according to Georgian news agency Caucasus
Press.
MOSCOW, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The conflict that erupted overnight on Aug. 8 in
Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, not only caused great damage to
ties between Russia and Georgia, but also cast a shadow over Russia's relations
with the West.
With some western nations criticizing Russia for failing
to live up to its ceasefire agreement with Georgia, analysts remain skeptical
about whether the lingering Russia-West rift would heal anytime soon.
BUCHAREST, Aug. 25
(Xinhua) -- The military exercises scheduled for the time being in the Black Sea
have no connection with the conflict in Georgia, stressed Juan Rodriguez,
Commander of the Standing NATO Maritime Group SNMG1) in Romania's Constanta on
Monday.
At a press conference aboard the Juan de Borbon frigate,
part of the SNMG1 fleet, Rodriguez said the tactical exercises at sea will be
carried out in accordance with a set schedule, and the aim of the operations is
to promote interoperability among the navies of the NATO member
states.
MOSCOW, Aug. 25
(Xinhua) -- President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that Russia could sever all
ties with NATO if necessary, Russian news agencies reported Monday.
"Cooperation is in the interests of NATO, not Russia,"
Medvedev said in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi during a meeting on Monday
with Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's envoy to the alliance.
WARSAW, Aug. 25
(Xinhua) -- Russia is stiffening its stand over Georgia and it will test the
EU's eastern policy, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday.
Commenting Monday's resolution by Russia's parliament
calling on President Dimitri Medvedev to recognize Georgia's renegade provinces
Abkhasia and Southern Osetia as independent states, Tusk said the Georgian
crisis will be a test for the EU's eastern policy.
STOCKHOLM, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said here on
Monday she was very concerned about a appeal by Russia's parliament to urge
President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize the independence of two breakaway
Georgian regions.
The State Duma or lower house of the Russian parliament
has approved Monday an appeal to President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize the
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the two breakaway regions of
neighboring Georgia. Earlier in the day, the Federation Council, or upper house
of parliament, voted unanimously in favor of a similar appeal.
TBILISI,
Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Georgian parliament decided on Saturday to extend the
military regime in the country while Russia said it would maintain peacekeeping
observation posts around South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway regions of
Georgia.
The parliament unanimously endorsed President Mikhail
Saakashvili's proposal to extend the military regime in Georgia, which was
originally declared for 15 days, until Sept. 8.
