Russia slams G-7 criticism as ''biased''

Moscow, Aug 29 (UNI) Russia today slammed the statement from the Group of Seven nations condemning Moscow for its actions in Georgia as biased.

''This step is biased and aimed at justification of the aggressive actions by Georgia,'' Russian Foreign Ministry said, referring to the statement by the foreign ministers of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.

The G-7 had criticised Moscow's decision to recognise Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and ''deplored Russia's excessive use of military force in Georgia and its continued occupation of parts of Georgia.'' ''The G-7 statement groundlessly affirms the 'undermining' of Georgia's territorial integrity by Russia,'' the Ministry said in a statement.

''It also ignored the reasoned Russian position in favour of a difficult but the only correct decision in the current situation to recognise independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia,'' it noted.

Although Russia is not part of the G-7, it has close ties with the bloc and is a member of its sister grouping, the G-8.

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