UN Security Council rebuffs Georgian separatists

The U.N. Security Council refused on Thursday to approve a request from representatives of two Georgian breakaway regions, which Russia has recognized as independent states, to address the council.

In recent months Russia has repeatedly asked the 15-nation council to allow representatives of Georgia's two separatist enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, to speak to the Security Council but Western council members have reacted coolly.

However, the situation became more complicated this week when Russia formally recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries after invading Georgia earlier this month to thwart an attempt by Tbilisi to regain control over South Ossetia. Both regions broke away from Tbilisi in the 1990s.

"There was no unanimous support to respond positively to these requests now," Belgium's U.N. Ambassador Jan Grauls told reporters after a closed-door meeting.

"The council will continue to discuss the participation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and will intensify these discussions ... at a more opportune moment," said Grauls, who currently holds the Security Council's rotating presidency.

As the host country for the United Nations, the United States has an obligation to grant to visas to official representatives of member states.

But since Georgia's Tbilisi government does not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia's independence, Western diplomats said Washington would be under no obligation to issue visas to Georgian separatist envoys.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff told reporters that the U.S. government always adheres "scrupulously" to its obligations as the United Nations' principal host country.

The Security Council will hold a public debate on the situation in Georgia at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), though it is not expected to pass any resolutions or joint statements. This is because Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the council, has the power to prevent it from taking any action.

"I think we'll be seeing the real action taking place outside the council for now," a Western diplomat said.

Western countries have condemned Russia's invasion of Georgia and its refusal to remove its troops from all Georgian territories outside the separatist regions as agreed in a cease-fire pact brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

While the Security Council remains deadlocked on Georgia, France has said European Union leaders will consider next week whether to impose EU sanctions on Moscow.