MOSCOW, September 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia signed friendship and cooperation treaties with South Ossetia and Abkhazia on Wednesday, promising them military and economic support.
Russia recognized the breakaway Georgian regions as independent states last month after a brief armed conflict with Georgia, which attacked South Ossetia on August 8.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the documents with Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity in the Kremlin.
Medvedev said after the signing ceremony that Russia will not permit any new Georgian acts of aggression against Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and is ready to intervene militarily.
"No one should be in any doubt - we will not permit new reckless military acts," he said.
Under the treaties, Russia has pledged to help the two republics to protect their borders, and their signatories have granted each other the right to set up military bases in their respective territories.
The treaties also formalized economic cooperation between Russia and the republics, and allowed dual citizenship for Russian, Abkhaz and South Ossetian residents. Russia agreed to unify its transportation, energy, and communications infrastructure with the two republics.
"The sides will be striving for the highest level of economic integration and will actively develop trade and economic cooperation, taking measures to unify energy and transportation systems as well as systems of communication and telecommunication," the treaties said.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia have so far only been recognized by Russia and Nicaragua. Belarus has pledged to follow suit in the near future, and Venezuela has voiced support for Russia's recognition of the two republics.
The two republics broke away from Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s through wars that claimed thousands of lives.
Bagapsh said Abkhazia and South Ossetia plan to apply for membership in the Russia-Belarus Union State and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
"We will send membership applications to these structures and we hope they will be accepted," he said.
