Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili participated at the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Thai city of Chiang Mai on May 19-20.

On the sideline of the Summit, President Saakashvili met with Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as well as Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong.

The talks focused on bilateral relations and the policy of non-recognition of Georgia's separatist regions.

Saakashvili said in his televised comments that the visit was part of his policy of deterring Russia's efforts to gain international recognition for breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbour, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the breakaway regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.

Furthermore, Saakashvili met with the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, on the sideline of the Summit and thanked him for his government's decision to retract recognition of breakaway Abkhazia, civil.ge website reported.

Earlier, there has been confusion and uncertainty over recognition of Abkhazia by the Republic of Vanuatu as the latter cognized Abkhazia in May, 2011, but retracted its recognition shortly after change of government in early June, 2011.Then one local official reportedly reaffirmed the recognition.

However, in late June, 2011, Vanuatu was among those nations who voted in favour of Georgia-sponsored and Russian-opposed resolution in the UN General Assembly reaffirming right of IDPs to return to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, in April, 2012 Russia was listing Vanuatu among those countries, which were recognizing Abkhazia.

In March, 2013 Vanuatu's Foreign Ministry retorted setting up of diplomatic ties with Abkhazia.

"This is the first precedent when Russia suffered a very serious defeat on the diplomatic front and I am sure that's not the last one," Saakashvili said after the meeting with Vanuatu's PM, adding that it was made possible through Georgia's active diplomatic efforts and strong Western support to Georgia.

"Time will come when Russia will also retreat from this -- I am absolutely sure about that," Saakashvili said.

According to the Presidential Administration, Saakashvili also held meetings with PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, Vice President of Myanmar Sai Mauk Kham, Vice-President and Head of Iran's Department of Environment Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh,Vice-Presidents of Burma, Papua New Guinea and Iran.