Russia harshly criticizes Group of Seven members for their hypocrisy

G7 countries united against Russia and issued a joint statement in which they condemned Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

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Foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA and Great Britain said that Russia had violated the territorial integrity in Georgia, as well as the resolution of the UN Security Council regulating relations between Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Russia's decision has called into question its commitment to peace and security in the Caucasus," the counties' foreign ministers said in a statement. "We deplore Russia 's excessive use of military force in Georgia and its continued occupation of parts of Georgia."

The ministers urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Georgia to the positions where they had been stationed before the conflict.

When Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev signed the decree to recognize the independence of the two republics on August 26, Ukraine was one of the first countries that showed its reaction to the decision. The Ukrainian administration declared its support for the territorial integrity of Georgia. The reaction from Washington, Paris and London followed soon afterwards. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband stated that Western countries were working on a coalition against the Russian aggression in Georgia . For the time being, Russia has only one supporter of its actions in the Caucasus – Hamas movement, which many countries consider a terrorist organization.

In the meantime, Georgia started the previously promised procedure to cut its diplomatic ties with Russia. The Georgian Embassy in Moscow will reduce the number of its diplomats to only two officials. Russia will not be doing the same, a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Russia said.

France, a co-chairing state at the European Union, has blocked the initiative of Poland and the Baltic states to invite Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili for the emergency EU summit which is slated to open September 1 in Brussels.

“Saakashvili will not be present at the summit,” an official representing the Council of Europe said.

The Georgian president stated in his recent interview with Germany’s Bild that he would not be attending the summit due to his fears to leave the country.

“The Russians will block our airspace and will not let me return to the country,” he said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a telephone conversation with French President Sarkozy that Georgia must withdraw its troops to the locations of their permanent deployment.

Medvedev described his point of view in detail in connection with Sarkozy’s concerns about the current situation in the region.

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