As Russian troops withdraw from Georgian territory, the leaders of the two self-proclaimed republics within Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, stated that they will not renounce the de facto independence they have enjoyed since the beginning of the 1990s. Both politicians are convinced that the Russia-Georgia conflict brings them a step closer to the international community recognizing their independence.

During a press conference, Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh said that dialogue with Georgia is no longer a possibility: "Georgia has only been independent for 18 years and it has already had seven wars with us", Bagapsh said. Both Bagapsh and his South Ossetian counterpart, Eduard Kokoity, said that Georgia had "carefully planned" attacks on South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Abkhaz leader also believes that the conflict has shown that the United Nations is powerless to protect the two territories from alleged Georgian military aggression.

A six-point peace plan
Meanwhile, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev and his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, have drawn up a six-point peace plan to end the current violence. According to Caucasian Knot, the conditions of the plan include an immediate end to the use of force; an end to all military activity; guaranteed access for humanitarian aid; a return of Georgian and Russian forces to pre-conflict positions; and international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and on guarantees of lasting security in the two territories.

The document has already been signed by both warring states, Russia and Georgia, and by both self-proclaimed republics, but Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili did not accept the sixth and final point relating to discussions on the status of the two de facto independent republics.

Once the wording has been agreed, the text will be read by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of EU member-states, and if they give their consent the document will then acquire the legal force of a resolution.

• RussiaToday: ‘Nothing can stop our independence now' - breakaway republics
• Caucasian Knot: Georgia accepts five out of six points of Medvedev's resolution
• RussiaToday: Independence first, talks with Georgia second - Abkhazia
• Press conference in RussiaToday