Georgia: Belarusian Lawmakers to Report on Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Belarusian lawmakers plan to release reports on whether or not Minsk should join Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela in recognizing the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Summarizing a November 17-20 visit to Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia on November 23, a group of 12 parliamentary deputies did not provide details of their findings. But MP Mikheil Russiy commented that Abkhazia "has all the attributes of an independent state," Russia's Regnum news agency reported on November 22.

Minsk dispatched the group of deputies to Tbilisi, Sukhumi and Tskhinvali in response to appeals from Abkhazia and South Ossetia for recognition as independent states from Georgia.