MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will continue to give its full support to the former Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and will not allow the events of last August to recur, Russia's prime minister said on Wednesday.
Some 162 civilians and 67 Russian service personnel, including peacekeepers, were killed when Georgia attacked the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August. Russia reacted swiftly, expelling Georgian troops from the region. It subsequently recognized South Ossetia and another former Georgian republic of Abkhazia on August 26.
"Russia intends to continue giving total political and economic support both to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I would like to say clearly once again that Russia will not permit any reprisal attempts or any repeat of military ventures in this region," Vladimir Putin said following his meeting with South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity.
The Russian premier said that Moscow is also ready to consider granting South Ossetia additional financial aid to rebuild its social infrastructure.
"We are ready to consider allocating extra resources for the restoration of social and communal facilities if the need should arise," he said.
Russia has already allocated some 10 billion rubles ($321 million) to South Ossetia for projects to rebuild infrastructure destroyed during the August 2008 war.
Putin said that Russia never targeted or encouraged other countries to recognize the former Georgian republics and the fact that only Nicaragua has recognized their sovereignty is no threat to either Abkhazia or South Ossetia.
Earlier in the day Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Tskhinvali and Sukhumi were interested in other countries and international organizations recognizing their independence but said "not all the processes in the world moves quickly," adding that other states needed time to make their decision on the two republics' recognition.
