[LINK] "S[outh] Ossetia 'will become Russian'"

[rfmcdonald]

The Ossetians are going to be reunified within Russia, or at least their leaders expect such to come about as reported by the Associated Press.

The breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia has predicted it would become part of Russia.

Three days after Moscow recognised it as independent, parliamentary speaker Znaur Gassiyev, said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the region's leader, Eduard Kokoity, discussed the idea earlier this week.

They agreed Russia would absorb South Ossetia "in several years" or earlier, he said.

Meanwhile, Georgia announced it would recall all diplomatic staff from its embassy in Moscow in protest at the presence of Russian troops on its territory.

Georgia's parliament had urged the government to sever diplomatic ties, calling Russia an "aggressor country" and a Georgian MP said his country will eventually regain control of South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia.

"The separatist regimes of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the Russian authorities are cut off from reality," Gigi Tsereteli said. "The world has already become different and Russia will not long be able to occupy sovereign Georgian territory."

The crisis has prompted an emergency EU summit on Monday with some countries pressing for sanctions against Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia and South Ossetia plan to sign an agreement on the placement of Russian military bases in South Ossetia.

The province's deputy parliamentary speaker Tarzan Kokoiti said South Ossetians have the right to reunite with North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.

"Soon there will be no North or South Ossetia -- there will be a united Alania as part of Russia," he said, using another name for Ossetia. We will live in one united Russian state."