South Ossetia and Abkhasia, like Kosovo, were "special cases", newly-appointed Russian ambassador to Bulgaria Yuri Isakov told his first news conference in Bulgaria on August 27 2008.

Countries should decide about any recognition of independence of their own accord, he said, as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA. The grounds for the existence of independent states like South Ossetia and Abkhasia were by far more substantial than for Kosovo, which Russia did not recognise as independent.

Russia's policy towards Georgia has been aimed at the physical salvation of the people of the two breakway regions South Ossetia and Abkhasia,the new ambassador said.

Isakov denied theories that Russia's actions had to do with taking control over energy sources. "These were humanitarian actions in a military situation, at a time when the existence of the South Ossetian people - and, as is known, there were such plans for the people of Abkhasia - was threatened," he said.

As for the speculation about possible Russian annexation of South Ossetia and Abkhasia, Isakov said that he saw no prospects for this. The aim of all steps taken by Russia was by no means annexation, he said.

In view of Russia's recognition of Abkhasia and South Ossetia on August 26, Isakov looked back at the history of events, noting that Georgia had shown no willingness for peaceful dialogue, while through all the years Russia had sought a solution to the conflict on the basis of Georgia's territorial integrity and international law.

The aggression against Tskhinvali made it clear that the region could not exist in any form other than as an independent entity outside Georgia, Isakov said.

He said that in different forms, Russian authorities had regularly reminded their partners that arms supplies gave Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili a sense of impunity as became evident in the subsequent developments.

Isakov declined to give details of the arms supplies, arguing that this was a sensitive issue affecting bilateral relations with NATO and EU countries.