Rice says recognition of Georgia’s regions 'regrettable'

The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has stated that Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was “regrettable”. At a special press conference in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank, Rice was positive that the United States would use its veto power in the UN Security Council to prevent any recognition of the two provinces because it saw them as integral parts of Georgia's internationally recognized territory. Rice also characterised the Russian move as “extremely unfortunate”.