Brussels, 14/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomed the fact that the government of Georgia had approved, on Tuesday, the action plan for implementation of EU Neighbourhood Policy. The action plan, negotiated in recent months, is to be approved by the EU/Georgia Cooperation Council mid November. “This is the beginning of a new phase”, Ms Ferrero-Waldner told the press after a meeting with Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili. She announced she would be in Georgia early October.
There was talk of the “frozen conflicts” in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “We are concerned about the atmosphere” in both regions, the Commissioner admitted, stressing that “only dialogue”, both diplomatic and peaceful, will help resolve these conflicts. The Commission therefore welcomes the new peace initiative taken by Georgia and “we welcome its intention to begin direct talks with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as this is essential”, Ms Ferrero-Waldner said. “A fresh outbreak of violence should be avoided at all costs. The minister has given his assurance that this is also how Georgia feels”, she explained. Gela Bezhuashvili said he hoped the EU would strengthen its role as “facilitator” for a solution in South Ossetia and as “guarantor” that commitments by all parties will be respected. In the meantime, the EU points out it will not recognise the results of a referendum, on 12 November, on the independence of this pro-Russian breakaway territory in Georgia. On Wednesday in Moscow, the EU Representative for Southern Caucasus, Peter Semneby, cited by AFP, said: “the results of this referendum will be of no importance to us”.
South Ossetia is also causing the European Parliament concern. The situation “is desperate”, warn Arpad Duka-Zolyomi (Slovakian) and Tadeusz Zwiefka (Polish), members of the EPP-ED Group returning from a visit to the region, where they met Eduard Kokoity, leader of the breakaway republic, and General Kulakhmetov, the Russian general who commands the peace-keeping forces. “Eduard Kokoity informed us of his decision to call a referendum on independence”, Arpad Duka-Zolyomi states in a press release, while Tadeusz Zwiefka urges Russia to contribute to a solution saying: “The separatists have put up posters of Russian President Putin with a slogan 'Our President' all around the area of South Ossetia”.