Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs the meeting of his cabinet in Moscow, August 25, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters file photo) Photo Gallery>>>
MOSCOW, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia does not intend to
apologize for its actions in the recent conflict with Georgia, Russian Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin said Saturday.
"We do not need to apologize to anyone, we are
certain that we are right, nor are we going to argue," Putin said in an
interview with the Rossiya television channel.
The Russian prime minister said cooperation between
Russia and the West should not be cooled down due to the crisis in the Caucasus.
Russia has resources without which its "partners
can't exist or it'll be very difficult for them," while what Russia receives
from its international partners is available on many other global platforms,
Putin said.
Georgia sent in troops to reclaim its breakaway
region of South Ossetia on Aug. 8, triggering a military counter-offensive by
Russia. The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement between Tbilisi and
Moscow brokered by France.
Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia,
the other breakaway region of Georgia, as independent states last week has
further strained its relations with the former Soviet republic.
MOSCOW, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said Saturday that Abkhazia and South Ossetia cannot legally join
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) due to their status, local
press reported. Full story
MOSCOW, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The recent conflict with
Georgia indicated that other states will have to take Russia into consideration,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday.
"The events in South Ossetia showed that Russia will not
allow anyone to infringe upon the lives and dignity of its citizens, that Russia
is a state to be, from now on, reckoned with," Medvedev said at a meeting of the
State Council, a consultative body to discuss important issues with the head of
the state. Full story
AVIGNON, France, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU)
foreign ministers agreed Saturday to send an observer mission to Georgia to
monitor the implementation of a peace plan between the Caucasian country and
Russia.
"We will have an observer mission in Georgia," EU foreign
policy and security chief Javier Solana said at the end of an informal EU
foreign ministers' meeting. Full story
MOSCOW, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Moscow welcomes Nigaragua's
decision to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, the
Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.
The decision is not only an indication of the leaders'
deep understanding of current international realities, but also a contribution
to the formation of the international system on the basis of strict adherence to
international law, the foreign ministry said. Full story
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States will
provide Georgia with a one-billion-dollar economic aid package, President George
W. Bush announced Wednesday. Full story
TBILISI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Georgia formally cut
diplomatic ties with Russia on Tuesday in protest against Moscow's recognition
of the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, and welcomed the
decisions of an emergency EU summit on its conflict with Russia. Full story
MOSCOW, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russia has completed the
withdrawal of its troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to their permanent
location, Itar-Tass news agency reported Tuesday, citing a military source. Full story
