Dmitri Rogozin (1963- ), Russian ambassador to NATO
Brussels, 27 August 2008 (RIA-Novosti):
Dmitri Rogozin, Russia’s ambassador to NATO, said on Wednesday that Russia will stand by its decision to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. NATO urged Russia to reverse its decision and respect Georgia’s territorial integrity. NATO ambassadors said the alliance “condemns the decision of the Russian Federation to extend recognition to the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia and calls upon Russia to reverse its decision”. Mr Rogozin, in turn, urged NATO members to reconsider their recognition of Kosovo. “I am calling on NATO countries to withdraw and review their decision concerning Kosovo’s independence, otherwise, NATO’s peacekeeping mission in the Balkans will be called into question”, he said. Commenting on the NATO ambassadors’ statement, he said the alliance “should act on the premise that this is a new political reality”. President Dmitri Medvedev signed decrees on Tuesday recognising South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, saying that recognition was necessary to protect the republics from further Georgian acts of aggression, as seen by the 8 August military offensive in South Ossetia. Western leaders condemned Russia’s decision, sparking off fears of a new Cold War. US President George W. Bush said in a statement on Tuesday, “Russia’s action only exacerbates tensions and complicates diplomatic negotiations”.
RIA-Novosti
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080827/116325556.html (in English)
Why just South Ossetia?
If this is the time that Ossetians should be given independance surely it would make sense to unify North and South Ossetia and create an independant country out of both regions?
Comment by apdiserens — Thursday, 28 August 2008 @ 04:47
Actually, “independence” is not the goal. Incorporation into the Russian Federation is the point of the exercise. However, if the South Ossetians and Abkhazians had expressed their true desires (most are Russian citizens), the neocons would have their nicks in a worse knot than they have them now.
Yes, there are many people who desire to be part of Russia. One reason is that if the area becomes formally Russian, no more Georgian sneak attacks would be launched. Of course, North and South Ossetia shall be a united republic in the RF. The Empire (pre-Revolutinary, not USSR) is rising again, and the neocons can splutter all they will, but they cannot do a bloody thing about it.
The sooner the Russians put down the neocon lunacy, the better. The neocons are warmongers and the sooner they are suppressed permanently, the better off the world is going to be. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say!
Vara
Comment by 01varvara — Thursday, 28 August 2008 @ 04:54