Statement by legitimate Abkhazian administration

The Chairman of the legitimate Abkhaz regional administration (in exile), Malkhaz Akishbaia, has released a special statement in response to the Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Akishbaia expressed the hope that the international community would not allow Russia to violate internationally recognized principles and ensure the victory of separatism in the Caucasus. ''By recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Russian President has unmasked the real face of Russia, which the civilized world has so far failed to see. The Russian move is legally and historically incorrect and immoral, which removes the chance the Ossetian and Abkhaz people had to develop freely,'' Akishbaia stated.