President Medvedev said in a televised address that the move is in keeping with fundamental international laws and shows Russian support to the expression of "free will" by the Ossetian and Abkhazian peoples, according to news agencies.
The president also called on other countries to follow Russia's example.
The leaders of the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia hailed Russia's decision to recognise their independence.
In the first formal reaction, a senior official of the Georgian Foreign Ministry said Russia's decision has “no legal status.”
The French Foreign Ministry said on the same day that Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states is a "regrettable decision," while the British government said they categorically reject the Russian decision.
Add new comment