Bagapsh and Kokoity ask Lukashenka to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Alyaksandr Lukashenka received letters with personal requests of “presidents” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on recognition independence of their republics.

Response letters stating the position of the Belarusian side on this issue have been sent to the heads of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The new composition of the Belarusian “house of representatives” will consider a question of recognition Abkhazia and South Ossetia as new independent states. Valyantsin Rybakou, aide to the president for foreign policy, told it in an interview to Interfax-Zapad.

V. Rybakou emphasised the official replies “present the earlier expressed by the head of the Belarusian state position of Minsk on this issue”. “Its sense is that this question will be considered by the new composition of the Belarusian “parliament”, which is to be formed on the results of the “election” on the nearest Sunday September 28,” the aide to Lukashenka said.

It should be reminded that the European Union and the United States warned the Belarusian authorities that recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Belarus would be unacceptable. So, US Charge d’Affaires in Belarus Jonathan Moore said to journalists that Washington stood against possible recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Minsk, and the Belarusian side was informed about that position.

The EU also condemned the fact Russia had recognised independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and urge the rest of the countries not to do it. The final declaration of the EU summit of heads of states and government, adopted on September 1, says it.

“The European Council strongly condemns Russia's unilateral decision to recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the document says. “That decision is unacceptable and the European Union calls on other States not to recognise this proclaimed independence and asks the Commission to examine the practical consequences to be drawn.”