Brussels, 25/08/2008 (Agence Europe) - Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures. Given the crisis in Georgia, the French EU Council Presidency has decided to convene a meeting of the European Council, on the afternoon of Monday 1 September, in Brussels. As stated in the release published by the Elysée on Sunday 24 August, the aim is to finalise the EU's stance when it comes to “assistance to Georgia and its relations with Russia”. The possibility of such a meeting had been envisaged at the outbreak of the conflict, among other things at the request of a number of member states, such as Poland or the Baltic States, which are particularly anxious for the EU to show greater firmness towards Russian seizure of territory bordering on their own.
The EU heads of state or government will therefore, on one hand, finalise implementation of the six-point agreement relating to the cessation of hostilities between Russia and Georgia, and, on the other, will hold a broader debate on the European position regarding Moscow, including continued talks on the new partnership and cooperation agreement by the next EU-Russia summit (on 14 November, in Nice). The political go-ahead to the launching of talks came at the Khanty-Mansiisk summit on 27 June (EUROPE 9692). A first negotiation meeting was held on 4 July (EUROPE 9697), the next being scheduled for mid-September.
Endorsed on 13 August by the EU foreign ministers (EUROPE 9722), the six-point agreement does not at this stage seem fully honoured on the ground (Russian troops still hold their positions on Georgian soil) and the Security Council is finding it hard to translate this plan into a UN resolution. The question of withdrawal of Russian troops to their positions prior to the outbreak of the conflict, and that of sending military or civilian observers within the international framework mechanism provided for by the agreement to replace Russian peacekeepers on the spot, remain highly controversial. The opening of international talks on arrangements for security and stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is already proving tricky in the context of the still partial Russian withdrawal and the adoption of a declaration, on Monday, by the Council of the Federation of Russia (upper house of the Russian parliament) calling on the Russian president to recognise independence of the two breakaway republics. The other house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, was due to give its stance on this during the afternoon.
At EU level, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) is meeting on Tuesday 26 August and Coreper on Thursday 28 August. Representatives of the EU27 will then look at the possibility of next week's European Council adopting formal conclusions. (A.B./transl.jl)