Georgia Urges OSCE to ‘Respond’ to Expansionist Russia

Credit: RIA Novosti

VIENNA (RIA Novosti) — Georgia’s foreign minister accused Russia on Thursday of expansionist behavior and urged the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to take appropriate measures.

Russia officially recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia on Tuesday despite Western warnings, saying the move was needed to protect the regions following Georgia’s August 8 attack on South Ossetia.

Addressing a meeting of the OSCE’s Permanent Council, Yekaterina Tkeshelashvili described the situation as dangerous and said other post-Soviet regions, including Ukraine’s Crimea, could also be affected.

"It is necessary to consider an appropriate response to these dangerous and reckless attempts by Russia in the short, medium and long term," Georgia’s top diplomat said.

She called on the OSCE to "analyze" the situation and "consider efficient measures to respond to the new reality."

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband slammed Russia’s move as an attempt "to redraw the map." Britain’s top diplomat paid a visit Wednesday to Ukraine, which like Georgia is seeking NATO and European Union membership.