YEREVAN (ArmRadio)–Russia’s Foreign Minister on Wednesday described Russia’s recognition of Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence as “irrelevant” to the future status of other regions seeking similar recognition of their independence.
In an interview with Elefterotipia, a Greek newspaper, Sergei Lavrov singled out Turkish occupied North Cypress, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Transnistria, as three regions that should not see Russia’s recent recognition of Georgia’s two breakaway regions as precedents for their own bids for international recognition.
“Now many are trying to build all sorts of parallels between the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia with other internationally unrecognized entities,” Lavrov said. "It’s unclear, however, where those "experts" were after the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo’s independence.”
Lavrov noted the hypocrisy in the West’s decision to recognize Kosovar independence but oppose the right to self determination of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “It wasn’t us who opened a Pandora’s Box,” he said. “So, I advise caution when drawing parallels, which are absolutely irrelevant in the case of Cyprus, Nagorno Karabakh and Transnistria.”
According to Lavorv, none of the parties involved in these conflicts is threatening to use force or undermining the mechanisms to settle the conflicts as the current Georgian regime did when it attacked South Ossetia.
In related news, Lavrov was in Armenia Thursday for talks with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian and President Serzh Sarkisian. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the meetings focused on the coordination of foreign policy objectives, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and recent developmen’s in the region.
