MINSK, November 5 - The Belarussian
parliament plans to consider the recognition of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia next week, Russian media reported Thursday.
"Next week,
the parliament will start considering the recognition of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Vladimir Makei, head
of the presidential administration, as saying.
The Belarusian
parliament has resolved to establish a working group to consider the
recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a RIA Novosti correspondent
reported on Thursday.
The parliament's CIS and foreign
affairs commission "has resolved to establish a working group from
members of both houses of parliament to prepare the [recognition] issue
for consideration in Belarus's National Assembly," commission head
Sergei Maskevich said.
The commission has also suggested
sending a parliamentary delegation of about 10 lawmakers to Georgia,
South Ossetia and Abkhazia to study the situation in the region. The
visit is tentatively scheduled for late November.
Russia recognized the two republics
shortly after a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008 that began
when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it
back under central control. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have also been
recognized by Nicaragua and Venezuela.
The two republics' authorities asked
Belarus to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
last year. However, Belarus has so far refused to join Russia in
recognizing the republic.
http://www.abkhazworld.com/news/353-belarus-consider-recognition-nov5.html
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