September 01, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 29, 1429

MOSCOW, Aug 31: President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday that Russia will provide military aid to Georgia’s breakaway provinces and warned that US domination of world affairs was not acceptable.

But in a speech to Russian television stations, he also said Russia wants to maintain good relations with the United States and other Western nations.

Medvedev said Russia was preparing to sign deals with Abkhazia and South Ossetia that will detail Moscow’s obligations on economic, military and other assistance to the two regions.

His statement indicated that Russia has no intention of backing down in response to Western criticism of its recognition of the two provinces’ independence.

Medvedev said the agreements will lay the basis for “allied” relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.“We will provide all kinds of assistance to these republics,” Medvedev said. “These international agreements will spell out our obligations on providing support and assistance: economic, social, humanitarian and military.”

He did not say when the deals would be signed, but Russian news reports indicated that it could happen in the next few days.

Medvedev’s decision on Tuesday to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent drew sharp criticism from the West, which has condemned Russia’s August war with its tiny ex-Soviet neighbour.

He said on Sunday that Russia’s recognition of the two regions was enough for them to come to existence as independent states. “We have made our decision, and it’s irreversible,” he said.

The president again defended Russia’s military action, saying it was an adequate and necessary response to Georgia’s attempt to regain control of South Ossetia by force which he called “idiotic” and “boorish”.

Medvedev warned that Moscow would not accept US domination in global affairs.

“The world must be multi-polar, domination is unacceptable,” he said. “We can’t accept the world order where all decisions are made by one nation, even by such serious and authoritative nation as the United States. Such a world would be unstable and prone to conflicts.”—AP