U.S. regrets Russia's plan for establishing bases in Abkhazia, S. Ossetia

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The United States has expressed regret for Moscow's plan to establish military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, urging the Kremlin to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The United States regrets the Russian Federation's expressed intention to establish bases in the territory of Georgia," U.S. State Department said Friday in a statement, adding that the plan "without the consent of the Georgian government would clearly violate that commitment."

Under the Aug. 12 and Sept. 8 agreements to end a five-day war with Georgia in August last year, mediated by the European Union, Russia committed to returning its forces to their pre-war numbers and locations in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Implementation of these basing plans would also violate Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, to which Russia repeatedly committed itself in numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions," the State Department said, urging Russia to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and facilitate stability in the region through implementation of its commitments.

The plan for establishing military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, initially reported by Russia's ITAR-TASS News Agency late in January, has yet to be officially announced by the Kremlin. ¡¡