Parliament will consider the appeal by the Gagauz People's Assembly asking for the recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia only when it comes in a formal manner, Speaker Marian Lupu told reporters on Thursday. “No formal petition has been sent to Parliament so far”, stated Lupu. The appeal of the People's Assembly is obviously beyond the powers granted to this body by the national and local laws; therefore, this document bears neither legal nor diplomatic significance, the Speaker added. The Assembly's appeal, published on September 19, was endorsed by 18 out of 35 Gagauz law-makers. The Communist faction opposed.