MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. The start of delimitation of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian borders will help to stabilize the situation in the border regions of Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said.

Speaking on the anniversary of Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia, she said: "Among the priority tasks [of the negotiation process] is to conclude a legally binding agreement on Georgia’s non-use of force against Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It will serve not only as a reliable guarantee that the tragic events of August 2008 will not be repeated, but also as a starting point for normalization within the Tbilisi-Sukhum-Tskhinval triangle."

"The start of delimitation of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian borders with their subsequent demarcation will help to stabilize the situation in border regions," she continued. "Russia, as the closest neighbor of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Georgia is ready to offer broad assistance to these processes."

Zakharova also recalled Russia’s role in resolving the conflict.

"When the international community distanced itself from attempts to stop the aggressor, Russia became the only country that gave a timely and adequate response to this treacherous attack," she said, adding that "Moscow held an operation to force Georgia to accept peace first, and later recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as sovereign and independent states."

On the night of August 8, 2008, Georgia launched an armed attack on South Ossetia. Russia stood up to defend the republic's citizens, many of whom had taken Russian citizenship by then, as well as its peacekeepers, who had worked in the region since 1992. More than 1,000 people were killed as a result of the five-day military conflict, 72 of whom were Russian servicemen. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian autonomous region.