8-15-08, 9:51 am

Moscow, Aug 14 (Prensa Latina) In a recent statement, President Dmitri Medvedev said Russia will respect whatever status the autonomous South Ossetia and Abkhazia Republics may choose and guarantee its global acceptance.

Medvedev said, 'we will support whatever they may decide concerning the UN status, the International Convention of 1966 and Final Document of Helsinki of 1975 on security and cooperation in Europe.'

The announcement followed the signing of a six-point cease-fire pact with Presidents Serguei Bagapah (Abkhazia) and Eduard Kokoity (S.Ossetia).

Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov empasized that any accord on the conflicts in Georgia with the phrase 'territorial integrity' will insult South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Lavrov said it was a must to avoid talks on Georgian territorial integrity for it is impossible to make Abkhazia and South Ossetia believe they will be tied to Georgia again.

Georgia attacked, last Thursday, Tsjinvali, South Ossetia, killing 2,000 people, mostly civilians, making Russia reinforce its peace-keeping troops.

Russia will leave control to the Georgian Police of Gori, near 56 miles from Tiflis, the closest point to South Ossetia and collect the weaponry the Georgians neglected during their withdrawal, said General Viacheslav Borisov.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said Russian forces returned to the port city of Poti after they began to withdraw today.

Prensa Latina