Ecuador will consider recognising Georgian rebels: Correa

Agence France Presse
October 30, 2009

MOSCOW -- Ecuador will consider recognized the independence of Georgia's rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said Friday on a visit to Moscow.

"If these two regions officially ask Ecuador to be recognized, we will seriously examine this request," Correa told reporters during his trip to Russia, the main backer of the two breakaway regions.

But he said he had "not discussed this question" in talks the previous day with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev or Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The foreign ministers of the two regions' separatist governments both said promptly after Correa's remarks that they would send official requests to Ecuador asking for recognition.

"South Ossetia will of course send an official request. We would be grateful to the leadership of this country and any other one that recognized our independence," South Ossetian foreign minister Murat Dzhioyev told Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency.

Abkhazia will send its request as soon as Correa returns home to Ecuador, Abkhazia's top diplomat Sergei Shamba told Echo of Moscow radio.

So far only Venezuela and Nicaragua have joined Russia in recognized the regions as independent states, while the rest of the world considers them Georgian territory and Georgia says they are under Russian occupation.

Ecuador, which like Venezuela has a left-wing government friendly to Moscow, was reported by Russian media to be considering recognition in exchange for Russian arms deals ahead of Correa's visit.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Caracas was recognized the regions on a visit to Moscow last month, then days later said Moscow had agreed to loan Caracas 2.2 billion dollars for the purchase of Russian weapons.

Russia recognized the two regions' independence after its war with Georgia in August 2008, a move that was roundly condemned in the West as a blatant violation of international law.