Belarus' ambassador to Russia: Minsk will soon declare recognition of South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's independence

In the near future, Belarus will declare its support of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence, said today Vasily Dolgolev, ambassador of Belarus to Russia. "As to our support, we're allies, and this explains everything," he told journalists answering the question on Belarus' support of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Today, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has sent a message to President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev in favour of a consolidated position of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) on South Ossetia and Abkhazia and with his assurance of his allied attitude to Russia.

"In those circumstances, Russia had no other moral choice but to support the appeal of the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on recognition of their right to self-determination according to fundamental international documents," runs, in particular, Mr Lukashenko's message.

The breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has welcomed the fact of recognition of the state independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The statement of the NKR's Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs: "This is completely compliant with the basic principles of self-determination of nations and international law fixed in the fundamental documents and legal acts of the United Nations, OSCE and other international organizations."

The document emphasizes that the Karabakh party has repeatedly warned that threats to apply force, excessive escalation of military potentials and desire to solve problems in one's favour by force of weapons are fraught with humanitarian catastrophe.