The Duma Committee for CIS on March 13th, following a hearing on unrecognized republics, recommended an upgrading of relations with Abkhazia, Transdniestria, and South Ossetia including the possibility of recognition.

Other recommendations included or reported are the establishment of diplomatic missions in the regions with the foreign ministry to decide whether they are consulates or another type of mission, a removal of import duties on goods created by businesses with Russian shareholders in the regions, and increased humanitarian and economic assistance for Russian passport holders in the regions.

Alexei Ostrovsky, chairman of the lower house’s committee on former Soviet affairs said at the parliamentary hearing:

The world community should understand that from now on the resolution of conflicts in the ex-Soviet area cannot be seen in any other context from that of Kosovo.

Participation of the breakaway republics in international organizations and forums was also mentioned in a press release before the hearings. The Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily described the hearing as “the launch of a procedure of recognition.” The committee recommendations are set to be put before a vote a week after the hearing.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said the ministry would “look carefully at all the recommendations” but that Russian policy remained unchanged.

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