Georgia Quits CIS

Saakashvili said Georgia would declare Russian troops in Abkhazia, S.Ossetia as “occupational forces.”

President Saakashvili said Georgia has decided to quit the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and to officially denounce Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as “occupational forces.”

“We have decided to quit CIS and to say farewell to the Soviet Union,” Saakashvili told a crowd of tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Parliament. “We call on Ukraine and other members to also quit the CIS ruled by Russia.”

“We have also decided to renounce the Russian peacekeepers’ mandate and to declare Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories of Georgia,” he added.