Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has taken questions from foreign journalists.
On the first anniversary of the start of last year's conflict in South Ossetia, Mr Putin responded to questions from foreign journalists. In his opinion, with the current Georgian leadership it is impossible to rule out a repeat of the events of August 2008. As he pointed out, however, it would certainly prove more difficult for the leadership to pull such a stunt now that Russia offers serious security safeguards to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Mr Putin vowed that Russia would develop relations with these Caucasus republics as independent states "without so much as a glance over our shoulder at those who don't like it." "If the Georgian leadership can at least learn a lesson, the recent events, the events of last August, should have driven home to them that it is futile to talk from a position of strength," the Prime Minister said.
Moscow issue