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Europe's Interests Served With Georgian Sauce

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  • Europe's Interests Served With Georgian Sauce

    EUROPE'S INTERESTS SERVED WITH GEORGIAN SAUCE
    By A. Haroutiunian

    AZG Armenian Daily
    04/09/2008

    Europe-Russia-Caucasus

    EU Resolution Focuses Rather on EU-Russia Relations, than Georgia
    Itself

    On September 1 the members of the EU gathered and discussed the
    consequences of the conflict in South Ossetia, which burst on August
    8. The EU adopted a resolution, consisting of a number of articles,
    which, although relieved of sharp phrasings, are rather clear.

    Thus, the EU shall henceforth have a permanent representative for
    Georgia, and shall try to insure its energetic security by all
    available means, including deeper diversification of energy sources
    and routes of their import.

    In the meanwhile the European union expresses its displeasure with
    the armed conflict, which received an inadequate response from
    Russia's side. The EU condemns Russia for one-sided recognition of
    the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and welcomes the
    Russia-France-Georgia agreement.

    The EU is willing to contribute the peace and final settlement of the
    conflict as well as to assist Georgia in restoring its authority over
    South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

    The resolution has a plenty of beautiful phrasings on European
    partnership, reducing the tension in the region, the so-called Eastern
    partnership, and, of course, the EU-Ukraine summit, which is to take
    place next week.

    As the EU-Russia relations faced a stalemate as a result of the recent
    events, Europe made a decision to intensify its collaboration with the
    Russian Federation, also taking into account that the latter would
    never suffer its full isolation from Europe. However, the EU-Russia
    talks on a new strategic partnership agreement are to be suspended
    until Russian troops return to positions they had held by August
    7, 2008.

    Russian representative to the EU Vladimir Tchizhov replied to this
    that those who desire Russia to withdraw its forces from Georgia are
    knocking at an open door, as Russian armed forces are left only in
    the buffer areas and in the area of conflict.

    Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin in his turn said with "typical
    Russian boldness" declared that foreign warships in the Black Sea shall
    have the proper answer and that other states are not following Russia
    in recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia does not mean a crisis.

    On the other hand, Georgia renounced a number of Russian-Georgian
    agreements on South Ossetia. "Novosti Gruzii" agency informs that
    the Joint Commission on the South Ossetia conflict was dissolved and
    Russia's peacekeeping mandate in South Ossetia suspended.
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