Russia urges Georgia to sign non-violence pact

Almost exactly a year on from Georgia's attack on South Ossetia, which resulted in a five-day Georgia-Russia war, the two countries have been accusing each other of seeking to raise tensions in the region.

"Despite the failure of their irresponsible venture last August, Tbilisi's authorities, it would appear, have no intention of abandoning their plans to restore Georgia's territorial integrity by force," Andrei Nesterenko told reporters in Moscow.

"We therefore insist that they take on a legal obligation on the non-use of force. Georgia must take on this obligation unconditionally, not with respect to Russia, but to its neighboring republics - South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Only in this way can Tbilisi restore even a minimal level of trust among its neighbors and the international community."

He said the pact must provide clear guarantees for the security of the South Ossetian and Abkhazian peoples, to avoid a repeat of last summer's tragedy; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

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