Putin: Abkhazia and South Ossetia should not detach from Georgia

Russia does not support the intention of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to separate from Georgia, Vladimir Putin stated at the informal Russia-EU summit, the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports. In fact, he called Abkhazia and South Ossetia to build a united state with Georgia. President Putin added that the situation is progressing towards a possible bloodshed, and the Georgian leadership is trying to recover its territories through military actions.

In this context, Mr. Putin remarked that the international community should take measures not to admit bloodsheds as a result of conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the "Newsru.com" reports.

President of Russia also asserted that Tbilisi is trying to restore its territorial integrity in the military way, and according to Russian president, the Georgian leaders are to be blamed for the aggravation of Moscow-Tbilisi relations.

The authorities of Georgia gave a tough reaction to Putin's statement, the RBK reports. Gela Bezhuashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, declared that the Russian president was deliberately distorting facts, and Tbilisi has no intention to apply force. Bezhuashvili stated that Russia is irresponsibly and cynically using separatists in self-declared republics, the BBC reports. He reminded that there was no genocide in relation to Ossetians, noting that "it looks like Russian leadership is wangling facts and shuffling the history to suit its own versions and interests."

Javier Solana, EU's supreme representative for foreign policy and security, remarked, in his turn, that the European Union is concerned about the problem of Russian-Georgian relations. "The EU intends to develop relations with both countries and sees no contradictions between this aim and the preservation of good Georgian-Russian relations," Solana said. Giving his comments on the status of Russian peacekeepers in conflict zones in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Solana reminded that "the existing format (of peacekeeping forces) is a result of earlier attained agreements."