TBILISI, August 8. /TASS/. Georgia is not prepared to sign a non-aggression agreement with either Abkhazia or South Ossetia as the republic has already stated that territorial integrity can only be restored peacefully, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters.
"Of course, we are not ready for this (signing of a non-aggression pact - TASS). As regards the issue of non-aggression, that isn’t serious for us. We insist on one simple thing: that a peaceful path is the only way toward restoring territorial integrity," Kobakhidze explained. "We have stated this and there is no room for discussing any document or agreement," he added.
Tbilisi does not plan to engage in direct talks with Sukhum or Tskhinval, nor is it going to recognize their independence, the Georgian head of government said.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Georgia signing a legally binding agreement on non-aggression against Abkhazia and South Ossetia would 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 trilateral framework.
In the early hours on August 8, 2008, Georgia launched an armed attack on South Ossetia. Russia stood up to defend the republic’s citizens, many of whom had gained Russian citizenship by then, as well as its peacekeepers, who had worked in the region since 1992. More than 1,000 people, including 72 Russian servicemen, were killed in the five-day military conflict. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian autonomous region.