Russian lawmakers push rebel regions' independence

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian lawmakers voted Monday to recognise Georgia’s rebel regions as independent amid warnings from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of “disastrous results” if the Kremlin redraws the post-Soviet map.

The two houses of parliament approved resolutions formally calling on Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to declare South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent from Georgia.

“Neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia will ever again live in one state with Georgia,” Abkhaz separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh told the Federation Council upper house of parliament ahead of the vote. Bagapsh also called for a military cooperation agreement between Russia and Abkhazia, raising the prospect of a long-lasting Russian military presence in the Black Sea region.

The two regions are internationally recognised as part of Georgia, where Russian troops were dug in after rolling into the former Soviet republic nearly three weeks ago in response to a Georgian offensive to retake South Ossetia. South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity told lawmakers Russia had saved his region from “genocide.”