Georgia recalls most diplomats from Moscow

GEORGIA: Georgia will reduce its diplomatic staff in its embassy in Moscow, Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said on Wednesday, a day after Russia recognized the independence of two Georgian breakaway regions.

"We are downgrading diplomatic relations with Russia. Only two diplomats will remain working in our embassy in Moscow," Tkeshelashvili was quoted by Georgian news agency Caucasus Press as saying.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday signed decrees recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which broke from central Georgian rule during wars in the early 1990s.

Medvedev said recognition "is the sole chance of saving people's lives" after the recent clashes in South Ossetia.

Georgia sent in troops to reclaim South Ossetia earlier this month, triggering a military offensive by Russia. France, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), brokered a ceasefire agreement between Georgia and Russia.

Tbilisi, Thursday, Xinhua