International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia governance and the positions of their member states, they may express positive or negative opinions as to declarations of independence, or choose to offer or withhold membership to a newly declared state. International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Abkhazia and South Ossetia are partially recognised republics in the Caucasus, claiming independence from Georgia. Russia's initial recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occurred in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War, six months after the western recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo from Serbia in February 2008. This, and resultant non-recognition of Abkhazia and South
Russia–South Ossetia relations formally integrated into the Russian economy by treaty in March 2015. After being instructed by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in March 2009, Russia allocated 2.8 billion rubles from the Russian federal budget, as part of agreements between the Russian Ministry of Finance and its South Ossetian counterpart, which were based on the treaty signed in September 2008. Russia also allocated an additional 8.5 billion rubles to South Ossetia in order to assist in rebuilding housing, social amenities and utilities which were destroyed or damaged during the 2008 war. According to Eduard Kokoity, seventy percent of residential housing and eighty