U.S. shows support to Georgia on war anniversary

A U.S. State Department spokesman said on Monday that the U.S. "strongly" supported Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity as Russia and Georgia marked the third anniversary of the brief war between the two countries.

"We would specifically urge Russia to fulfill all of its obligations under the 2008 cease-fire agreement, including the withdrawal of its forces to pre-conflict positions and free access for humanitarian assistance to the territories," Toner told reporters.

He also urged all parties to continue to "constructively engage via the Geneva discussions and the incident response and prevention mechanisms," saying those venues and mechanisms will help promote greater stability in the region.

Russia and Georgia have been at odds since 2008 when they fought a brief war that resulted in Moscow's recognition of two Georgian breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as independent states.

After the conflict with Georgia, Russia has deployed thousands of troops and border guards there. In response, Tbilisi cut diplomatic relations with Moscow.

Furthermore, Georgia remains the only World Trade Organization (WTO) member which blocks Russia's accession into the organization, demanding Moscow close customs offices in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russia hopes to join the WTO by the end of 2011, but would not yield to Georgia's political demands.