On the anniversary of the start of the Russia-Georgia war, President Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow would not revise its decision to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"I stress this decision will not be reviewed," Medvedev said on Saturday in the southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz, during an award ceremony for service personnel, who fought in the five-day war that started a year ago.

Some 162 civilians and 67 Russian service personnel, including peacekeepers, were killed when Georgia attacked the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August. Russia reacted swiftly expelling Georgian troops from the region and subsequently recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic.

Medvedev said that August 8, 2008 was "a tragic date in modern history" and called Georgia`s actions "a barbaric aggression."

Medvedev said that Moscow would continue to provide South Ossetia with social and economic aid, as well as military assistance.

Russia has already allocated some 10 billion rubles ($321 million) to South Ossetia for projects to rebuild infrastructure destroyed during the August war.
sections: Politics