Brussels, 13/08/2008 (Agence Europe) - After an extraordinary meeting of European Union Member States' foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday 13 August, the Council welcomed the six-point agreement endorsed the day before by Russia and Georgia based on 'mediation efforts undertaken by the Union'. The six point plan guarantees the end of hostilities, access to humanitarian aid and the search for a policy solution and these issues are expected to be rapidly set out in a United Nations Security Council resolution, which Russia has the right to veto. As Belgian foreign minister Karel De Gucht explained to a group of reporters, problems might arise with interpretation of point 5, which stipulates that "Russian military forces shall withdraw to positions held before the start of hostilities. While awaiting an international mechanism, Russian peace-keeping forces shall implement additional security measures".
In the immediate term, the Council calls on all sides to respect all their commitments, starting with an effective ceasefire, and to ensure proper implementation of the ceasefire in good faith on the ground in the areas concerned. An international mechanism needs to be rapidly set up. "Rapid reinforcement of OSCE monitoring (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Ed.) on the ground is essential. The European Union will act in this connection at the OSCE. The Council urges the parties to not block the observers' activities," continues the document, adding: "The Council also considers that the European Union should be prepared to commit itself, including in the field, to support all efforts, including those of the UN and the OSCE, in view of a sustainable and peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Georgia. It invites the Secretary General-High Representative, liaising with the Commission, to prepare proposals to this end for the informal Avignon meeting of 5-6 September 2008".
Many foreign ministers, like David Miliband of the United Kingdom, felt the need to mention the OSCE principles, starting with respect for Georgia's territorial integrity. This insistence follows statements by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Moscow that it was "normal" for "Russia to want to defend the rights of Russian-speakers" outside its territory. In its conclusions document, the Council notes that "a peaceful, sustainable resolution to the conflicts in Georgia must be based on full respect for the principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, recognised in international law, and United Nations Security Council resolutions".
"The work must now start," explained French foreign minister and president of the Council, Bernard Kouchner, after the Council meeting, admitting that the six-point agreement was "a necessarily imperfect compromise" that resumed the principles and must now be turned into a legal text by the United Nations Security Council and actually implemented on the ground. Bernard Kouchner said it was a question of "involving the EU in practical resolution of the conflict on the ground ". The Security Council resolution is expected to be adopted while Belgium is in the chair, in other words before the end of August 2008, he said, mentioning the sending of "European monitors, controllers, facilitators or mediators" to the area.
"We shall remain committed," promised Javier Solana, talking about various contributions from the European Union, namely support for OSCE observer terms, preparing for the deployment of staff based on a Security Council resolution, and seeking a political settlement. The EU High Representative hopes "to have all that by Gymnich" (the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Avignon in early September 2008, Ed.).
The Council asked the Commission to arrange the coordination of EU humanitarian aid and report back on reconstruction needs at its next meeting. At the press conference, EU Commissioner Olli Rehn pointed out that on Sunday the Commission had earmarked emergency humanitarian aid of a million euros, which could rise in stages to up to ten million.
During their debate, all ministers backed the OSCE action and effective application of the six-point plan. Most ministers said that their countries were prepared to contribute to the sending of the necessary staff. David Miliband said that the United Nations and the OSCE should play a leading role in order to "ensure there is a suitable international presence". German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier backed the sending of observers, noting that the EU should avoid getting pulled into a blame game and should focus on how to play a constructive role in stabilising its own neighbourhood and maintaining contact both with Moscow and with Tbilissi. This view stood in stark contrast to the position taken by David Miliband, who was prepared to cast doubt on the negotiations that have just started over a new partnership agreement between the EU and Russia. On his request, the EU27 will be discussing continuation of the negotiations at the upcoming Gymnich meeting.
On his arrived at the meeting, Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said he doubted Moscow would authorise the presence of European observers in areas it controls. "Nothing indicates that the Russians would allow anyone else. I really don't think so. The Russians are firmly in control of the situation at the moment," he observed.
On Wednesday, the President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, criticised the peace plan presented to Russia and Georgia by his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, demanding that it should include Georgia's right to territorial integrity. "We heard talk of conditions for suspending operations in which there was no mention of Georgia's territorial integrity," regretted Lech Kaczynski at a press conference in Tbilissi. "This is a region where we can clearly see the value of initiatives formulated on a piece of paper many miles from here, somewhere in the North. It is worthless," AFP quotes the Polish president as saying. He urged the European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to demonstrate the greatest firmness with Russia, saying: "The EU Council of Ministers should take a much more decided position and I call upon it to do so".
The Polish president also called on the United States to guarantee Georgia's security. "The Georgian nation, and other neighbours, is entitled to security. If our great ally wants to continue in the role of great world leader, this is the place to demonstrate it," said Kaczynski. "I want to call on President Bush and his staff to do so". The Polish president had travelled to Tbilissi on Tuesday with the Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Estonian presidents and the Latvian prime minister.
Tbilissi and Moscow agreed in principle on Tuesday 12 August to a peace plan prepared by the French Presidency of the European Union. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, president-in-office of the European Union, and his Georgian counterpart Michael Saakashvili agreed on Tuesday evening to an amended six-point peace plan approved by the Russian President, Dmitri Medvedev. On Tuesday morning, Dmitri Medvedev ordered an end to military operations in Georgia just before Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Moscow. But on Wednesday, Russians and Georgians were still accusing each other of sporadic bombing and/or gunfire.
The plan that has been agreed but not yet signed by the two sides foresees: - an end to military activity; - commitment from both sides to make no further use of force; - access for humanitarian aid; - withdrawal of Russian forces to their initial positions; and withdrawal of Georgian units to their barracks. The sixth point was amended upon request from Saakashvili. The international 'negotiations' foreseen in the Sarkozy plan have now become discussions. Rather than the future status of Southern Ossetia and Abkhazia, they will focus on 'stability and security conditions' in the two Georgian breakaway provinces. Moscow endorsed this amendment.
The leaders of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia have already rejected the idea of negotiating with Georgia, accusing Tbilissi of 'genocide', reported Russian press agency Interfax from the Abkhazian capital Sukhumi on Wednesday. "One does not negotiate with the organisers of genocide (...) Only judges at an international tribunal can talk with them," said Eduard Kokoity, leader of Southern Ossetia, at the heart of the current conflict between Russians and Georgians. "There will be no further negotiations with Georgia," said the Abkhazian President, Serguei Bagapch: "One does not hold negotiations with state criminals, one sends them to court".
The Georgian offensive on 8 August, and Russia's retaliation, did not take everyone by surprise. A Polish think tank had warned of the imminent danger of a flare-up (see our specialist sister publication Europe Diplomacy & Defence No 152). The conflict led to rapid mobilisation of the United Nations (meetings of the Security Council), the European Union (calls for a ceasefire from High Representative Javier Solana, sending of the President of the Council and the French foreign minister to the region and meetings of the Policy and Security Committee and COREPER in Brussels on Tuesday), the OSCE (the president-in-office, Finnish foreign minister Alexander Stubb, travelled to the region), the Council of Europe (the president of the Council of Ministers, Swedish national Carl Bildt, and the Secretary General, UK national Terry Davis, travelled to the region). NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer condemned the disproportionate use of force by Russia in its retaliation, and met with the Georgian Ambassador in Brussels on Tuesday, who had attended a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC). The NAC is expected to meet next Tuesday at the level of the foreign ministers.
Tangibly manifesting their disapproval for the first time, the United States (accused by Russia of backing the Georgian offensive) cancelled joint naval manoeuvres with Russia on Tuesday that were due to take place with French and British ships in the Pacific Ocean next week. "It is quite impossible, in full conscience, for us to be able to hold joint naval manoeuvres given the crisis situation," a high-ranking US defence official told Reuters, speaking off the record - no official announcement having been made at that point. (O.J.)