Neighbours give Moscow lukewarm backing on Georgia

By Oleg Shchedrov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia failed to get six former Soviet neighbours to join it in recognising the break-up of Georgia but said on Friday they had backed its intervention there.

The West has condemned Moscow for going to war with its southern neighbour last month after Georgia tried to retake its rebel, pro-Russian region of South Ossetia by force.

So far only Nicaragua has followed Russia's lead in recognising South Ossetia and another separatist Georgian region, Abkhazia, as independent states.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev put a positive gloss on the failure of Moscow's allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (ODKB) to recognise the secessions.

"As for the independence issue, it is quite natural that all of our ODKB partners will separately formulate their position on this matter ... naturally, being guided by their national interests while doing so," Medvedev said. "Russia believes this is absolutely right."

He was speaking after a summit of the ODKB, which groups Russia, Belarus, Armenia and four Central Asian states: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Medvedev said the leaders had condemned Georgia.

"Partners in the organisation gave an unambiguously negative assessment to Georgia's actions, Georgia's aggression in South Ossetia and supported Russia's active role, and spoke out for ensuring lasting security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia," he told a news conference.