“The Council of Federation is ready to recognize an independent status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, if the peoples of the two republics want it and if there is a relevant decision of the President of Russia,” Interfax news agency reported quoting Sergey Mironov, chairman of the Council of Federation, the Russia’s upper house of the Parliament, as saying on August 20.

The Russian senator made the remarks in North Ossetia, where he arrived to deliver the humanitarian aid sent by the Council of Federation to the refugees from South Ossetia.
 
Meanwhile, the Parliament of breakaway Abkhazia plans to convene a special session on August 20 to discuss an appeal to the President and Parliament of Russia asking for recognition.

“We will request to recognize the independence of our republic,” Abkhaz parliament speaker Nugzar Ashuba told Interfax news agency.

The breakaway region’s Parliament made several similar appeals to Russia in previous years.