Georgia's foreign ministry comments on Venezuela's recognition of Abkhazia, South Ossetia

"On September 10, 2009 Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez made a statement in Moscow that Venezuela will recognize the "independence" of Georgia's occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region," the statement said.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemns this highly unfriendly step taken by Venezuela and believes that such a flagrant violation of the norms and principles of international law will prove counter-productive for Venezuela. By taking such decision the dictator of Venezuela legitimizes the ethnic cleansing which had taken place in the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia throughout the recent years."

"We are convinced that this decision of the Venezuelan dictator will entail the further consolidation of those states who respect international law to continue support of Georgia's territorial integrity. It needs to be emphasized that the Venezuelan dictator's decision does not affect in any way the international legal status of Georgia and its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders," it said in a statement.

"It is the firm belief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia that this recognition, which Russia purchased with money and arms, has nothing in common with the will of the Venezuelan people. We believe that the decision of the Venezuelan dictator will be changed as soon as the Venezuelan people elect new government through the fair and democratic elections. Moreover, it is regrettable indeed that the money of the Russian taxpayers', who live at the edge of the poverty line is squandered by the political leadership of Russia to gratify their ephemeral foreign policy whims. It is absolutely clear to everyone that the Venezuelan dictator made a decision to recognize the so-called "independence" of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region in exchange for several hundreds of millions in credit and large quantities of arms pledged to him by the Russian authorities," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.