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Rice calls Lavrov to express U.S. concern on Georgia
2008-04-18
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she had called her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday to express concern about Moscow's move to strengthen ties with separatist regions of Georgia. Rice said she telephoned Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, about a decree issued earlier this week by Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering his government to establish legal links with neighboring Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "We are very concerned at the steps that have been taken and we have made our views known to the Russian government," Rice told reporters at the State Department, speaking at the start of a meeting with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. "The United States is absolutely committed to the territorial integrity of Georgia," Rice said. Putin ordered his government on Wednesday to recognize some documents issued by the separatist authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and cooperate with them on trade and other issues. Putin's decree made no mention of recognizing the two regions' claims for independence from Georgia. But Georgia condemned the move as a breach of international law, and NATO's chief urged Russia to reverse the decision. Just before Rice spoke on Friday, Putin ordered his government to restore postal links with Georgia and lift visa restrictions on Georgian nationals, in a move Russia's foreign ministry said was aimed at confirming Moscow's "constructive" policy toward Georgia. Rice said she had also spoken on Thursday with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. Georgia also needed to take steps to improve the lives of the people in the separatist regions, Rice said. "We believe that there should be an effort to carry out the plans that the Georgians have talked about to try to deal with Abkhazia and South Ossetia," she said. "Obviously the people of those regions need to have a good life and Georgia needs to provide for them." Western states are closely allied to Georgia and suspect Russia of trying to punish the small Caucasus nation for its bid to join NATO -- a bid actively supported by the United States at a recent NATO summit in Bucharest. Georgia, a former Soviet republic, has accused Moscow of creeping annexation of the rebel territories since they threw off Tbilisi's control in fighting in the 1990s.
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