Sergei Mironov: The Recognition of Independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is the Matter of Strategic Importance

August 26. The Chairman of the Council of Federation considers the decision of the Russian President to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as timely and strategically important.

"The decision made by the Russian President to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is timely, politically and juridically correct and has the strategic importance for the future of the Caucasian peoples”, Sergei Mironov said.

He noticed the principal importance of the fact that the decision of the president was made on the day after the en-bloc vote on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the both chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

"After the Decree of the Russian President the international consequences for these two new states are already coming today”, Sergei Mironov said. He also expressed confidence that the recognition of independence wouldn’t cause the isolation of Russia: “Our country will never be isolated because Russia is the great country and a huge state, it is impossible to isolate her”.

In his opinion, the reaction of the USA and the EU nations on the recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was expected. "Those who hitched Saakashvili to aggression now can kick themselves for playing the wrong card. And Saakashvili can forget that Abkhazia and South Ossetia used to be parts of Georgia, today this fact has become just juridical”, Sergei Mironov stressed.

As the Chairman of the Council of Federation said, "we never needed something that belongs to somebody else, but we know how to protect our national interests". "In the few last years Russia has demonstrated it very well", Sergei Mironov added.

In his opinion, those who think that “Russia dreams about being the WTO member or improving relations with the USA and other countries in the prejudice of her own interests” are wrong. “We have always been standing for mutually beneficial and equal partnership, and such kind of relations can be based only on the good will of the two states and sincere understanding of the mutual profitability”, Sergei Mironov said.

Speaking on the opportunity of integration of South Ossetia and Abkhazia into the Russian Federation Sergei Mironov noted: "In my opinion, this question is premature and even unnecessary”. “The making of real independence and real sovereignty is a very complicated process that takes certain time, there is no need in hurry”, he said.

"I’m sure that peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia has been fighting for independence, and their got it today. After the independence was recognized by Russia due international legal consequences are coming on”, Sergei Mironov stressed.

According to Interfax News Agency.