Medvedev was in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Thursday, Aug. 28, for the second of two days of consultations with his partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as Western leaders renewed their condemnation of Russia's diplomatic recognition of breakaway regions of Georgia.

The SCO was formed in 2001 as a counterweight to NATO's growing influence in the region.

"If we are talking about SCO's move from an economic organization to a military one, then this has already happened," Alexei Mukhin, head of the Moscow-based Center of Political Information, told the DPA news agency. "All the member states were willing in response to the strengthening of NATO."

With Russian troops still in key positions in Georgia, tension with NATO mounted as a top Russian general accused the alliance of building up its fleet in the Black Sea.

Moscow will be pushing for judicial support, namely from China, and promises of tighter military cooperation from eastern allies.

Russia cannot expect China to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia because it faces similar problems with restless regions at home, analysts said. China had no comment Wednesday on Russia recognizing the independence of two rebel Georgian provinces, continuing its policy of saying virtually nothing about the situation.

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