West slams Russia’s recognition of rebel regions

Western powers reacted angrily on Tuesday to Russia’s declaration recognizing the rebel Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Russia's parliament passed a nonbinding motion calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to support the independence bid by Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Monday.

Later in the day, Medvedev announced that he had signed a decree under which Russia formally recognizes the Georgian regions as independent states.

"Abkhazia and South Ossetia are a part of the internationally recognized borders of Georgia and are going to remain so," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday.

"As to the Russian apparent intention to recognize two parts ... I think it is regrettable," she said at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah after holding talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

"It puts Russia of course in opposition to a number of Security Council resolutions to which it is party. It simply means that the Russian president continues not to honor the commitments that the Russians have signed onto," Rice said.

"The ceasefire also talked about the importance of moving forward to an international way to deal with these sorts of conflicts, so to preempt those international discussions is extremely unfortunate," said Rice who wrapped up a 24-hour visit to Israel and the West Bank.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also condemned the Russian move as "unacceptable" and "contrary to international law."

"This contradicts the principle of territorial integrity, a principle based on the international law of nations and for this reason it is unacceptable," Merkel said during a lecture in the Estonian capital Tallinn.

France, which holds the E.U. presidency, is consulting its European partners to seek E.U. condemnation of Russia's recognition of rebel Georgian provinces, officials said.

Japan also voiced grave concern over Russia's action, with Yasuaki Tanizaki, director general of the Japanese foreign ministry's European bureau, delivering the message to Mikhail Galuzin, charge d'affaires ad interim at the Russian embassy in Japan, the ministry said in a statement.

"Our country is gravely concerned about the move," Tanizaki told Galuzin, according to the statement. "Our country hopes that Russia ... will take responsible actions for the region's stability."