Georgian Security Council Meets Over Russian Move

The Council would meet shortly and Saakashvili would give his reaction afterwards to the Russian move.

President Mikheil Saakashvili convened Georgia's National Security Council to discuss Russia's decision on Tuesday to recognise the independence of two rebel Georgian regions, Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria said.

Bokeria told Reuters the Council would meet shortly and Saakashvili would give his reaction afterwards to the Russian move.

Western countries lined up to condemn Moscow's decision to recognise breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia and establish diplomatic relations with them.

But Georgia held back from issuing an official reaction, beyond a comment from Bokeria that the Russian move, following this month's Russian-Georgian war over South Ossetia, was an "unconcealed annexation" of Georgian territory.

Bokeria declined to comment on remarks by the head of the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee, who said Georgia might sever diplomatic relations with Russia.

Georgian television news led its evening bulletin with the Russian decision, but much of its report was taken up with how international media such as the BBC and CNN had covered the move.