16/07/2008 (Agence Europe) -During his hearing before the committee on foreign affairs of the European Parliament on the afternoon of Tuesday 15 July (EUROPE 9704), the French foreign affairs minister and president-in-exercise of the Council of the EU, Bernard Kouchner, announced, amongst other things, that he is prepared to visit Georgia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia "as soon as possible", as part of an EU delegation, to help to reduce the tensions which have increased by a notch or two in recent days. Last week, the Russian Army acknowledged that military aircraft had deliberately entered Georgian airspace. Georgia then withdrew its ambassador from Moscow in protest. Russia explained that these flights were intended to dissuade the Georgian President, Mikhaïl Saakachvili, from launching a military operation to bring South Ossetia back under control. (H.B./transl.fl)