RUSSIA-GEORGIA/PUTIN Russia's Putin meets leader of Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia republic in Kremlin

Record ID: 149874

  • Title: RUSSIA-GEORGIA/PUTIN Russia's Putin meets leader of Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia republic in Kremlin
  • Date: 1st June 2015
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 1, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, WALKS, SHAKES HANDS WITH LEADER OF GEORGIA'S BREAKAWAY REPUBLIC, LEONID TIBILOV, THAN LEADERS TAKING SEATS MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "After we have signed an integration agreement and deepening of our relations,
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACWIEN1VUL966F25TJXHQ9L6I9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Russian President Vladimir Putin met the leader of Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov on Monday (June 1) in Kremlin. According to presidential press service the leaders have discussed the prospective of bilateral relations.
    "After we have signed an integration agreement and deepening of our relations, a movement forward has started even sooner than this agreement went through appropriate procedures, at least in our parliament," Putin said referring to an integration treaty signed in Moscow in March.
    Under the deal the rebel region's security forces, military, economy, customs service and border guards should be deeply integrated with those of Russia. Tbilisi then described the treaty as a "move aimed at annexation" and the United States and European Union said they would not recognise the agreement, which the EU depicted as a threat to regional security and stability.
    "Thank you for today's meeting and a possibility to convey sincere regards on behalf of the people of South Ossetia to you for an enormous help you provide to our republic," Tibilov, a former KGB officer, told Putin.
    Russia won a five-day war with Georgia in 2008 over the fate of South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia. It formally recognises both regions as independent states and signed a similar treaty with Abkhazia last year.
    Moscow's moves to draw in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, an impoverished region with a population estimated at between 30,000 and 50,000, have alarmed the West and Georgia, a former Soviet republic crossed by gas and oil pipelines to Europe.
    South Ossetia's fate since Russia took it over in 2008 is a cautionary tale. Its people saw Russia as a saviour after the war but the region is poor, roads are bad and unemployment is widespread.
    It is also almost entirely dependent on Russia for financial, political and military support and many of its people are frustrated with life under Russia's wing.
    Moscow says it has poured in 43 billion roubles ($700 million) at current rates, but independent organisations say much of this has been lost in corruption.
    Russia has had occasional difficulty maintaining political control in South Ossetia. A presidential election there was declared invalid in 2011 after the candidate backed by the Kremlin lost and accused his opponent of violations. Tibilov, the region's former KGB chief, won the rerun election in 2012.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register