Russian parliament backs independence for Georgian separatists

The Russian parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday to recognise the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions -- while President Dmitry Medvedev linked the Georgia conflict to tensions over another separatist region.
The European Union, which has criticised Russia's military intervention, called a special summit on the Georgia crisis. Many European nations expressed concern at the Russian parliament vote to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent.
With Russian troops still inside Georgia and tensions heightened by the arrival in a Georgian port of a US warship carrying aid, Russia's two parliament chambers approved a resolution calling on Medvedev formally to recognise the two regions.
The Duma and Federation Council held special sessions to debate the region's calls for recognition.
The two regions are internationally recognised as part of Georgia, where Russian troops rolled in on August 8 to fight off a Georgian offensive to retake South Ossetia.
Addressing the Federation Council, South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said Russia had saved his region from "genocide."
He asserted there was more political and legal legitimacy to recognising South Ossetia's independence than there had been for Kosovo, the Serbian province, which broke free with EU and US backing.
The Abkhaz separatist leader, Sergei Bagapsh, said: "Neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia will ever again live in one state with Georgia."
The parliament appeal was not binding and a final decision on Russian recognition rests with Medvedev.
The Russian president has signalled his support for independence and on Monday he mentioned the South Ossetia case when he said a dispute with Moldova over the Transdniestr region could be settled.
"It's reasonable to discuss already today the Transdniestr problem. I see good chances for solving it," Medvedev told Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin at a meeting at the Russian leader's Black Sea coastal residence at Sochi.
He said Transdniestr, which lies on Moldova's eastern edge adjoining Ukraine, should be viewed in the context of the battle with Georgia.