Medvedev: Georgian conflict result of US foreign policy
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev is due to give his first annual address on Wednesday
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Wednesday, 05, Nov 2008 06:33
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has claimed the recent conflict between Moscow and Georgia was a result of "conceited" US foreign policy.
Giving his first state-of-the-nation speech on Wednesday, he added that Russia would not "retreat in the Caucasus".
Also during his address to Russian lawmakers in the Kremlin, Mr Medvedev said that he wanted to extend the presidential term from four to six years.
Currently the president and parliament have four-year terms under Russia's constitution. To introduce the change, it would have to be approved by a two-thirds majority in parliament.
In August Moscow attracted international condemnation over its handling of the conflict with Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Referring to the conflict, Mr Medvedev said: "The tragedy of Tskhinvali [South Ossetia's capital]... was a consequence of the conceited policy of Washington.
"The conflict in the Caucasus was used as a pretext for sending Nato warships to the Black Sea and also for the foisting on Europe of America's anti-missile systems".
Mr Medvedev said that in response Moscow would deploy a new short-range missile system in the Kaliningrad region, located between Poland and Lithuania.
Mr Medvedev took office in May, taking over from current prime minister Vladimir Putin.