TBILISI. July 15 (Interfax) - Georgia and Vanuatu have established diplomatic and consular relations, Tbilisi announced.
On Sunday the Georgian Foreign Ministry announced that corresponding documents were signed in New York on July 12 by ambassador of Vanuatu to the United Nations Donald Kalpokas and Georgian charge d'affairs to the United Nations Vakhtang Makharoblishvili.
The sides stated that they recognize and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other within internationally recognized borders. Vanuatu recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia as inseparable parts of Georgia, the Foreign Ministry states.
"This fact indicates that Vanuatu made its final decision and drew a line under the issue of the recognition of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia following the principles of international law," the ministry statement says.
The ministry voiced hope that Vanuatu's decision will serve as an example for those countries that "recognized the occupied regions of Georgia" in violation of fundamental legal principles.
Earlier Vanuatu was among the first countries to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Last May Deputy Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Irakly Khintba said that Vanuatu did not revoke its reorganization of the independence of his country.
"The report about Vanuatu revoking its official recognition of Abkhazia is no more than a fantasy of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili," he said.
"It is true that there are differences of opinion in the government of Vanuatu about the recognition of Abkhazia. However, there has been no decision on severing diplomatic relations between our countries. What the prime minister of Vanuatu said in a conversation with Saakashvili is his personal point of view that has not materialized in a government decision," Khintba said.
"Vanuatu is now under strong pressure from those who are opposed to its relations with Abkhazia," he said.