SOUTH Ossetians celebrate the recognition of their
 independenceby Russia yesterday in Tskhinvali.

DUSHANBE — Russia yesterday lashed out against Western criticism of its actions in Georgia as President Dmitry Medvedev discussed the situation in the Caucasus with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. “The Russian president informed his Chinese colleague about the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said after the talks, referring to two Georgian rebel regions at the centre of the crisis.

Chinese officials declined to comment after the meeting. The meeting in Tajikistan came on Medvedev’s first foreign trip since fighting broke out earlier this month between Russian and Georgian forces over two regions that Medvedev recognised as independent on Tuesday.  British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said yesterday Medvedev has a responsibility not to start a new Cold War but relations with Moscow should be reviewed.

Britain, which already has strained ties with Moscow over spy scandals, was among many countries to condemn Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “Critically, but also very very sadly Russia has not reconciled itself to the new map of this new region,” Miliband told a group of students in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.

“The president of Russia has said he was not afraid of a new Cold War. We do not want a new Cold War and he has a big responsibility not to start one ... We need to raise the costs to Russia for disregarding its responsibility,” he said. Miliband said Russia’s war with Georgia — the first time Moscow sent armed forces beyond its borders since the breakup of the Soviet Union which included Georgia and Ukraine — destroyed a “geo-political calm” in the region.

The United States has said Moscow risked achieving membership in the World Trade Organisation and its membership of the Group of Eight nations, which Russia joined over 10 years ago. Miliband said Russia should stay within the G8, but relations should be re-examined. “I do not apologise for rejecting knee-jerk calls for Russia to be expelled from the G8 or for EU-Russia ties to be broken. But we do need to examine the nature, depth and breadth of relations with Russia,” he said. — Reuters/AFP