10:41, 3 October 2008

Georgian MFA: Somalia wouldn't recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia

The authorities of Somalia refute the information about their intent to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as reports the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Georgia with reference to a missive from Somalia's diplomatic department.

Somalia's plans to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia and set up diplomatic relations with these republics in the near future were announced on October 1 by Mohammed Khandule, ambassador of this African country to Russia.

"Yesterday late at night we received a missive from Somalia's MFA. This explanation document says that the MFA of this country had never considered the issue of recognizing the independence of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Somalia recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia and doesn't question this principle," said today the spokesman of the Georgian MFA, as quoted by the RIA "Novosti".