Medvedev sends Victory Day messages to Abkhazia, South Ossetia

18:03 | 09/ 05/ 2009

MOSCOW, May 9 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has
congratulated his counterparts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the CIS
on Victory Day, the Kremlin announced on Saturday.
A report on the official Kremlin web site quoted from messages to the
presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine, as well as the leaders
of the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but
did not include any message to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow following Russia’s
recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and its membership of the
Commonwealth of Independent States officially ends in August.
In his messages to the Abkhazian and South Ossetian presidents,
Medvedev compared the August 2008 conflict with Georgia over South
Ossetia to World War II.
"Our peoples fought shoulder to shoulder against the fascist German
aggressors for freedom and independence," he told South Ossetian
President Edward Kokoity. "The traditions of comradeship and mutual
support stood the test of time and appeared again during the tragic
days of August 2008, when it was necessary to resist together the
aggression against South Ossetia."
In his message to Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh, the Russian head
of state praised the ideals that "defended our peoples in the battles
of World War II," values which he said had been upheld in last year’s
conflict with Georgia.
"They protected the choice made by the people of Abkhazia in favor of
free and democratic development," Medvedev said, adding that relations
between Russia and Abkhazia would "become stronger and develop for the
good of our peoples."
Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states
after the five-day war with Georgia, which attacked South Ossetia in
an attempt to bring it back under central control. Most residents of
both Abkhazia had held Russian citizenship for several years.