By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington : The US Senate has adopted a resolution calling on Russia to respect Georgia’s territorial integrity and to withdraw its troops from the breakaway states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Relations between Russia and Georgia have been sour since a five-day war between the two former Soviet countries in August 2008, which began when Georgian forces attacked the breakaway republic of South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under its control.
Russia recognised South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian republic, Abkhazia, as independent states two weeks after the conflict.
Georgia considers the two regions part of its sovereign territory.
The US Senate resolution “calls upon the government of Russia to take steps to fulfill all the terms and conditions of the 2008 ceasefire agreements between Georgia and Russia, including returning military forces to pre-war positions and ensuring access to international humanitarian aid to all those affected by the conflict”.
The document also recognises Abkhazia and South Ossetia as regions of Georgia “occupied by the Russian Federation”.
Georgia hailed the US resolution saying that the document created “a serious basis for future actions”.
Russia is yet to respond to the US call for withdrawal from Abkhazia and South Ossetia.