EU FMs Discuss Ties with Russia in Georgia Context

EU foreign ministers are meeting on October 13 in Luxemburg to discuss, among other things, Russian compliance with the Russo-Georgian ceasefire accords and the possible resumption of talks with Moscow on a partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA).

The two issues have been interlinked since September 1, when EU leaders took a decision, which reads: “Until troops have withdrawn to the positions held prior to 7 August, meetings on the negotiation of the Partnership Agreement [with Russia] will be postponed.”

Russia has complied with the October 10 deadline, set by the September 8 agreement, and has withdrawn troops from the areas adjacent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The August 12 six-point plan (the September 8 agreement also makes a reference to the six-point plan) says that the Russian and Georgian forces should move back to positions held prior to the outbreak of the war. Russia troops, however, still remain in some areas not held before August 7 – namely, Akhalgori; Georgian villages around the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali; and upper Kodori Gorge in breakaway Abkhazia.

Hansjörg Haber, head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), said in an interview with the EUobserver.com that although the deadline set by the September 8 agreement did not cover the disputed areas under question, they fall under the provision that Russian troops must return to pre-war lines.

According to the western media reports the EU-member states seem to differ on the issue of restarting of partnership talks with Russia, in the light of presence of the Russian troops in the areas beyond the pre-war situation.

Finnish Foreign Minister, Alexander Stubb, who holds OSCE’s rotating chairmanship, said as quoted by Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) on October 13: “I do not expect a decision (on the PCA) to be taken today.”

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Russia had a constructive attitude and he believed the resumption of the talks should be announced during an EU-Russia summit on November14, Reuters reported.

"We must consider whether we are doing ourselves any favors with this standstill in negotiations," Germany’s Europe Minister Guenter Gloser said.

Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said Russia was complying with the spirit of the ceasefire and called for an early restart of the negotiations. 

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said, he did not think Russians had pulled back to pre-conflict positions in Georgia.

“They have made some withdrawals, primarily from the buffer zones but there are areas they occupy now where they were not on Aug 7,” Reuters quoted Bildt as saying on October

British Foreign Minister, David Miliband, said EU should first wait for the launch of international talks in Geneva on October 15. “In due course we can address the PCA,” DPA quoted Miliband as saying on October 13. “But at the moment we should be focusing on ensuring that all the elements that were agreed in September, including the Geneva talks, get going with proper speed.”

The Baltic States, as well as Poland are reportedly also in favor of a tougher stance with Russia on the matter.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)