Russia and Georgia have shut their embassies in each other's capitals following Tbilisi's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, officials and news agencies said yesterday.
"The Russian embassy in Georgia is no longer functioning. The consular section is closed as well, pending future directives from Moscow," embassy spokesman Alexander Savonov told AFP in Tbilisi.
In Moscow, Georgia's charge d'affaires Givi Shugarov told the Interfax news agency that the country's embassy had also ceased its diplomatic functions.
"As of now the embassy has stopped its diplomatic activity," he said, adding that "the consulate of Georgia continues to work as usual."
Georgia on Tuesday formally broke diplomatic relations with Russia following its occupation of parts of the country and recognition of two rebel regions.
Meanwhile Georgia's parliament voted yesterday to lift a "state of war" imposed last month during the ex-Soviet republic's conflict with Russia, a spokeswoman said.
"The Georgian parliament has unanimously approved a resolution lifting the state of war in Georgia," parliamentary spokeswoman Maka Gigauri told AFP.
"A state of emergency is declared on those Georgian territories where Russian occupation forces are still present, including in Abkhazia and the former South Ossetian autonomous district," she said.
The state of war was declared on August 9 as Russia bombed the country and the Georgian and Russian armies battled for control of South Ossetia, a Moscow-backed breakaway region.
Russia sent tanks and troops into Georgian territory in what officials say was a response to a Georgian offensive on August 7 to retake South Ossetia.
Moscow withdrew the bulk of its forces from Georgia under a French-brokered ceasefire agreement, but thousands of Russian troops remain deployed on its territory.
Russia describes the troops as peacekeepers but Georgia says they are an occupying force.
Russia later recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region, as independent states, drawing condemnation from Georgia and many Western countries.
Georgia's foreign ministry announced last week that it was planning to cut diplomatic ties but maintain consular relations to serve hundreds of thousands of Georgians living in Russia.