Brayza: nobody recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia except for Russia, Nicaragua and HAMAS

The USA will always recognize the territorial integrity of Georgia, and there are no chances that the States will ever recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, so far recognized only by Russia, Nicaragua and HAMAS, as Matthew Brayza, the US under secretary of state, has declared today.

"We should continue our diplomatic efforts within the Geneva process and our other interactions with Russia to let clearly know: Russia has breached its own policy on preservation of the territorial integrity of Georgia," said Mr Brayza at today's ceremony in Washington of signing the Georgia-USA Strategic Partnership Charter.

Also, according to the under secretary of state, the USA will cooperate with Georgia to help it to comply with the criteria of accessing the NATO, as the "Interfax" Agency reports. "Georgia should carry out reforms in the sphere of security and democracy," said Mr Brayza.

Meanwhile, Sergey Shamba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, is confident that in 2009 the number of countries to recognize the independence of Abkhazia will go up essentially. The next country to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be Belarus, Mr Shamba said.