Official Web-Site of the Russian Foreign Ministry: Russian President Vladimir Putin has given instructions to the Government of the Russian Federation in regard to resolving Russia’s relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The instructions are aimed at the realization of the declared course of the Russian leadership toward rendering in line with the norms of international law substantive support to the populations of the two republics and to the Russian citizens living there, particularly with regard for Russia’s earlier withdrawal from the 1996 CIS decision that had limited state ties with Abkhazia, as well as for the recommendations voiced by the State Duma.

The implementation of the President’s instructions will help create mechanisms of comprehensive defense of the rights, freedoms and lawful interests of the Russian citizens living in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. For these aims, the Government has been ordered to interact with the actual bodies of power in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including organizing cooperation in the trade, economic, social and techno-scientific fields and in the spheres of information, culture and education, particularly with the enlistment of Russia’s regions.

A list of recognized-in-the-Russian Federation documents issued to natural persons by the actual bodies of power in Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been established. The legal personality is to be recognized of corporate bodies registered under the laws of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which will be regarded as the personal law of those entities. Federal executive bodies have been directed to cooperate with Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the framework of legal assistance in civil, family and criminal matters. The territorial bodies of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Krasnodar Territory and in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania will in case of need perform individual consular functions in the interest of persons permanently resident in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

There is provision for the preparation of additional proposals on a number of concrete areas of further interaction with Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the interests of the economic and social development of these republics and the defense of the rights of their populations, including the Russian citizens.

The chief motive of all our actions in this direction is concern for the interests of the populations of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including the Russian citizens living there. Over the years of drawn-out conflicts, the residents of these unrecognized republics have found themselves in a plight. They were actually deprived of the opportunity to realize universal rights to a decent life and sustainable development. Aggravating their plight are the actions of Tbilisi, which ignores the possibilities of existing mechanisms to forge normal economic relations and tackle social problems in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Georgian leadership refuses to conclude with Sukhumi and Tskhinvali legally binding documents on the non-use of force and nonresumption of hostilities, builds up via different channels its offensive weapons and demonstrates the aggressiveness of intentions, in particular, in the upper Kodori valley, in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Against this background, the “new peace initiatives” being put forward by the Georgian leadership cannot be taken seriously.

Our decision to shift to rendering more substantive, practical assistance to the populations of the unrecognized republics is not inconsistent with international community sentiment. In this regard, it is indicative that the resolution 1808 of the UN Security Council adopted on April 15 this year (extending the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia) directly points to the urgent need for economic development in Abkhazia to improve the livelihoods of the communities affected by the conflict.

Our actions regarding Abkhazia and South Ossetia do not mean that Russia has made its choice in favor of a confrontation with Georgia. We are for the lifting of all the sanctions and restrictions hindering the socioeconomic development of the region. This is borne out by the resumption of air and sea links with Georgia and by other steps which constitute a positive alternative to the line of the current Georgian leadership.

The implementation of all the above measures will help to bolster security and stability in the Caucasus region.