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Abkhazia's president Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetia's president Eduard Kokoity want to be next for independence

SUKHUMI (Tiraspol Times) - Abkhazia and South Ossetia have requested the UN to put them in line for recognition after Serbia's province of Kosovo. This is the message in a joint appeal by Abkhazia's president Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetia's president Eduard Kokoity, saying their republics have as much of a right to independence as Kosovo does.

Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said in their statement that should Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo be granted independence, it would be a solid confirmation that international conflicts can be resolved based on principles other than territorial integrity.

" - If Kosovo is separated from Serbia and its independence is recognized, one more powerful proof will emerge that ethnic conflicts can be solved on principles other than a respect for territorial integrity," they said in a joint statement released this week.

Request to recognize 'de facto' independent countries

" - In case of a 'Kosovo precedent' we will act more decisively and demand the observance of unified standards to deal with similar conflicts," the statement said.

" - Abkhazia and South Ossetia have just as strong grounds to demand independence as Kosovo," added the statement, which was addressed to the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s after wars with Tbilisi, want their independence to be recognized internationally. They are already 'de facto' independent, and only need formal recognition to be integrated in the international community. They say UN approval of Kosovo's independence could help their cause.

" - Whether or not Kosovo is granted independence, we will not give up our fight," Bagapsh told a news conference. "But a solution of the [Kosovo] problem will speed up the process."

They also appeal to Russia to recognize their independence and protect them from human rights abuses that will follow if Georgia is allowed to invade their territory.

" - We are watching the situation and we believe Moscow will not remain indifferent to what is happening and what precedents are being created when major deals are violated by the West," said South Ossetia's president Eduard Kokoity.

Transdniestria did not sign

Transdniestria's president Igor Smirnov did not sign the letter. Although the three unrecognized countries collaborate closely within an international organization, the Community for Democracy and Human Rights, there is no United Nations involvement of any kind in Transdniestria. The unrecognized country, which is also known under names such as Transnistria or Trans-Dnestr, is officially named Pridnestrovie as per its constitution.

In 2006, after a referendum which showed that the local population overwhelmingly favors independence, Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie) joined Abkhazia and South Ossetia in a common appeal to the United Nations.

In Transdniestria's case, direct talks have involved the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which since the early 1990's has been involved in conflict settlement negotiations between Moldova and Transdniestria under an unending string of American ambassadors.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published earlier Monday that Russia does not agree that the Kosovo issue is different from the conflict situation in the former Soviet republics.

" - We are not convinced by statements from our partners that the Kosovo issue is unique," Putin said. "There are no arguments to prove that the Kosovo issue is in some ways different from the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, or in Transdniester." (With information from Reuters, RIA Novosti)

See also:
» United Nations petitioned by Pridnestrovie, two other unrecognized countries [1]
» Transdniester and Kosovo should be treated the same, says Putin [2]