MOSCOW - Russia's parliament voted unanimously Monday to urge recognition of the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions, a move likely to stoke further tensions between Moscow and the West.
After Georgia tried to reassert control over the separatist territory South Ossetia by force Aug. 7, Russian troops overwhelmed the Georgians, and for nearly two weeks occupied positions deep within Georgia.
Most of those forces withdrew Friday, although some Russian troops continue to operate near the Black Sea port of Poti and in areas just outside the boundaries both South Ossetia and a second breakaway region called Abkhazia.
Legislators in both chambers of Russia's parliament voted unanimously Monday to recognize the independence claims of both South Ossetia and another rebel-held territory, Abkhazia.
But the votes were not legally binding and it was up to President Dmitry Medvedev to make the final decision on establishing full diplomatic relations.
Observers say the blessing by Russian legislators gives the Kremlin an extra bargaining chip in its dealings with the West as it tries to reassert influence in the former Soviet republics and resist moves by Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO.
"Russia's historic role of the guarantor of peace in the Caucasus has increased," said Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the lower chamber. "The Caucasus has always been and will remain the zone of Russia's strategic interests."
Currently, neither Russia nor any other member of the United Nations recognizes the two provinces' independence claims. Both won de-facto independence in the 1990s after wars with Georgia, and have survived ever since with Russia's financial, political and military support.
Both have long sought recognition as independent states, but another possible option many be for one or both to be absorbed into Russia.
"Neither Abkhazia ... nor South Ossetia will be part of the Georgian state," Abkhazian leader Sergei Bagapsh told the upper chamber of Russia's parliament Monday.
The fighting has dragged relations between Russia and the West to a post-Cold War low, with the West accusing Russia of reneging on a commitment to withdraw forces from its smaller neighbour. Moscow says various agreements allow its troops to remain where they are.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called a special meeting of European Union leaders Sept. 1 to determine what steps the EU will take in terms of aid to Georgia and future relations with Russia. France holds the 27-member bloc's rotating presidency.
However, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday that the EU was not considering any sanctions against Moscow.
Russia's critics say the conflict in Georgia heralds a new, worrying era in which an increasingly assertive Kremlin has shown itself ready to resort to military force outside its borders.
On Sunday, a U.S. Navy destroyer loaded with humanitarian aid reached Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi. The guided missile cruiser, carrying about 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid, was the first of three American ships scheduled to arrive this week in a clear message of support to its embattled ally.
The deputy chief of Russia's general staff suggested Monday the arrival of U.S. and other NATO warships in the Black Sea would increase tensions. Russia shares the sea with NATO members Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria as well as Georgia and Ukraine.
The steps taken by the United States "add another degree to the tension in the region," Anatoly Nogovitsyn said Monday in televised remarks.
A U.S. official said the American ship anchored in Batumi, Georgia's main oil port on the Black Sea, because of concerns about damage to the Georgian port of Poti. Russian troops still hold positions near Poti, and Georgians say the Russians inflicted extensive damage on port facilities there.
In central Georgia, a few kilometres west of the city of Gori, fire tore through an oil train after an explosion Sunday, sending plumes of black smoke into the air. The cause was not clear, but Georgians have accused Russian troops of targeting oil facilities and transport links.
Georgia straddles a key westward route for oil from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and other Caspian Sea states -- important geography for the United States and the European Union which seek to decrease Russia's dominance of oil and natural gas exports from the former Soviet Union.
