Georgia dismisses Chavez recognition of rebels

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia said on Thursday that Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez's recognition of two Moscow-backed rebel regions was made under Russian pressure and would not provide the "puppet regimes" in the enclaves with legitimacy.

"Russia has been trying for a year to provide these puppet regimes with legitimacy," Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov told Reuters. "These attempts have been in vain."

"It should be clear to the Russian side that such actions won't add legitimacy to these puppet regimes," he added.

(Reporting by Margarita Antidze; writing by Matt Robinson; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)