Tbilisi. Russian President, Vladimir Putin has congratulated
the leaders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Leonid Tibilov and Alexander Ankvab
(respectively) on the fifth anniversary of recognition of those independence of
these republics - the Kremlin press office reported on Monday.
"In his message, Russian President
pointed out that a hard but right decision, taken by the Russian Federation in
August 2008, to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was
decisive for giving these two young countries a chance to choose their own
future," reads the statement.
Russian President highly evaluated
"the results the two countries have achieved over these last years in
state-building and strengthening their democratic institutions, restoring
social and economic infrastructure and creating conditions for long term
development and raising their peoples' living standards."
According to the RF leader, Russia will
continue to assist the young republics in all areas.
Russia unilaterally recognized the
independence of Georgia's breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
after the August war 2008. Official Tbilisi, in turn, broke off diplomatic
relations with Moscow and declared those regions the occupied territories.