Russian foreign minister expects new provocations from Georgia

Russian foreign minister expects new provocations from Georgia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes that more states recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent republics would not stop Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili from planning new military operations, RIA Novosti reports.
The minister reminded that the previous war started from an attack on Russian peacekeepers operating under international protection.
Lavrov noted that the visa-free regime proposed by Georgia contradicts its law on occupied territories. The law states that anyone visiting South Ossetia and Abkhazia is to be punished with 2-4 years of prison in Georgia. Two Russians have been jailed this way, the minister says.
Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Moscow is not insisting on any state recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Neither does Russia organize negotiations on the issue.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia have their own plan of foreign policy and cooperate with a set of states, including states that do not recognize their independence. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have active contacts with South America.
The Russian minister said that he had found out about recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by other states only after a signing of documents. Lavrov reminded that some minor states of the Southern Pacific Region, such as Tuvalu, Nauru and Vanuatu, have recognized the two republics. Russia approves their decision and is willing to cooperate with them.