August 30, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 27, 1429

TBILISI, Aug 29: Georgia on Friday broke diplomatic relations with Russia, heightening hostilities between the neighbours as Moscow also hit back at western criticism.

Georgia announced the split three days after Russia formally recognised the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

“Georgia is cutting diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation,” Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said. “In such situations, Russian diplomats will have to leave Georgia.

“Only consular relations will be maintained,” he added.

Russia said the move would not help ease the crisis between the two caused by their five-day war this month.

“We regret this step from the Georgian side. It will not assist our bilateral relations,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said, according to Interfax news agency.

Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said it “would be very awkward to have a diplomatic relationship... with Russia, when Russia will be setting up diplomatic relations with South Ossetia and Abkhazia”.

Speaking to reporters in Stockholm, she said a diplomatic rupture would be a temporary measure that could be ended after Russia stopped occupying Georgian territory.

Russia has turned its campaign against the West, strongly attacking criticism from Nato and the Group of Seven industrialised powers.

The G7 Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States had called on Russia to “implement in full” a French-brokered peace plan and pull all forces out of Georgia.

A Russian foreign ministry statement accused the G7 of being “biased” in favour of Tbilisi and seeking to “justify Georgian acts of aggression”.

Nato has also made a strong condemnation of Russia’s actions in Georgia, but Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko hit back saying the western alliance had “no moral right to the role of mentor in matters of international relations and to judge the actions of other states”.

Nato is putting “unacceptable pressure” on Russia, Nesterenko said, in an apparent reference to the presence of alliance ships in the Black Sea, including several US naval vessels delivering aid to Georgia.—AFP