Obama says Georgia's territorial integrity 'must be respected'

MOSCOW, July 6 (RIA Novosti) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged that Russia respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity during talks with President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on Monday.

"I reiterated my firm belief that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. If even as we work through our disagreements on Georgia's course, we do agree that no one has interest in renewed military conflict," Obama said at a joint news conference with Medvedev after their talks.

"President Medvedev and I are committed to leaving behind the suspicion and rivalry of the past," he added.

Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last August, which began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in a bid to bring it back under central control. Two weeks after the end of the war, Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic, as independent states.