MOSCOW // Russian legislators yesterday called on President Dmitry Medvedev to recognise the breakaway Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, a move likely to exacerbate Russia's already strained relations with the West.
Both houses of the Russian parliament unanimously passed non-binding resolutions asking Mr Medvedev to recognise the independence of the two pro-Moscow regions, which the Kremlin has supported morally and economically following their separatist wars with Georgia in the early 1990s.
The resolutions passed by Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, and the lower house, the State Duma, came just two weeks after a bloody conflict erupted between Georgia and Russia following Georgian troops' attempt to retake the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali.
"People cannot live together in the same country with those who burnt them alive, ran over them with tanks and shot their relatives and loved ones dead," Sergei Mironov, the Federation Council speaker, told legislators at an extraordinary session yesterday morning.
Russia and Georgia have accused each other of committing war crimes in the conflict, while Georgia claims it is the victim of Russian aggression.
The Russian State Duma passed a resolution later yesterday asking Mr Medvedev to recognise the two regions' independence, calling Georgia's actions in South Ossetia "barbaric aggression".
"Russia's historic role of the guarantor of peace in the Caucasus has increased," Boris Gryzlov, the State Duma speaker, told MPs. "The Caucasus has always been and will remain the zone of Russia's strategic interests." Both houses of the Russian parliament are dominated by Kremlin loyalists, and the resolutions are merely recommendations. Under the Russian constitution, only the president can recognise the independence of a foreign state.
As the resolutions were being passed, Mr Medvedev was meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi with the president of another ex-Soviet republic with a pro-Moscow breakaway republic.
Mr Medvedev warned Vladimir Voronin, the president of Moldova, whose breakaway Transdnestr region has sought sovereignty, against using violence to settle so-called "frozen conflicts".
"After the Georgian leadership lost their marbles, as they say, all the problems got worse and a military conflict erupted," Mr Medvedev told Mr Voronin, according to a transcript posted on the Kremlin website.
"This is a serious warning, a warning to all. And I believe we should handle other existing conflicts in this context."
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said at a news conference in Stockholm yesterday that it was unlikely Mr Medvedev would move to recognise independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
"I expect that the Russian president won't sign the resolution," Ms Merkel said, Reuters reported.
The White House announced yesterday that Dick Cheney, the vice president, would on Sept 2 embark on a trip with stops in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and Italy.
Mr Cheney will hold talks in Georgia with Mikhail Saakashvili, the president, to discuss the Russian-Georgia situation.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has called a special meeting of European Union leaders for Sept 1 to determine what the EU will do as far as aiding Georgia and developing future relations with Russia, the Associated Press reported.
France holds the 27-member bloc's rotating presidency.
Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said yesterday the EU was not considering sanctions against Moscow.
On Sunday, a US Navy destroyer loaded with humanitarian aid reached Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi.
Carrying about 55 tonnes of humanitarian aid, it was the first of three American ships scheduled to arrive this week, AP reported. However, the deputy chief of Russia's general staff suggested yesterday the arrival of US and other Nato warships in the Black Sea would increase tensions. The actions "add another degree to the tension in the region", Anatoly Nogovitsyn said in televised remarks.
Russian troops still hold positions near Poti, and Georgians say the Russians inflicted extensive damage on port facilities there.
In central Georgia, a few kilometres west of the city of Gori, a fire tore through an oil train after an explosion on Sunday.
The cause was not clear, but Georgians have accused Russian troops of targeting oil facilities and transport links, according to AP.
cschreck@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
