Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-09-01-Speech-1-133"
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"en.20080901.20.1-133"2
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"Mr President, I endorse the words of many fellow Members that the reaction today of the European Summit to the events of the past month is the right reaction. We have spoken with one voice and at the same time maintained our composure. However, the EU – and this is also made clear in today’s statement – has let it be known in no uncertain terms that what happened there, especially the Russian reaction, is not acceptable and that the disproportionate reaction of Russia to the military developments in Georgia must be condemned.
At the same time all parties have stated that the use of military force is not the right solution and I consider that also to be an implicit criticism of the actions of the Georgian Government which started the military activities. This reaction also shows that we believe, and rightly so, that we do not solve problems in Europe in this way, that this is not in accordance with the security agreements that we have and which were made in the past on the problems with South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia.
I also distance myself from the statements of the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Lavrov, that the way Russia reacted has set the tone for Russia’s new foreign policy in the surrounding region. I think that the European Union should do everything it can to persuade Mr Lavrov and the Russian Government that this is not the way that we in Europe try to resolve issues or press our interests. Cooperation is the watchword, not unilateral action.
I remember discussions over the past few years about the actions of the Bush Administration. I hope that we will not end up having the same discussion with Russia. That is why it is so important that the Council today, under the leadership of the French President-in-Office, has called again for attention to be given to this issue and has put the emphasis on the six-point plan, especially the return to the previous military
. By doing that he is laying the foundations for an international mechanism to keep the peace and particularly for an international debate about the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and he is dissociating himself, and rightly so, from the recognition by Russia of the independence of these two separatist regions.
That is also our opening position for a mission to Moscow that will take place next week at the highest level and which will again have to put pressure on Moscow to implement those six points. In these circumstances it goes without saying that our position is that, as long as there is no clarity about implementing this agreement, as long as there is no agreement, we will not engage in any further talks about the new partnership agreement.
This crisis is placing great demands on the European Union. It is right that we take the lead in the search for solutions. There is no alternative: NATO cannot do it, the OSCE is too weak, America is not in the position that we are in, and the UN cannot play a mediating role due to the blockades in the Security Council. Today’s summit was of one mind, let that remain so."@en1
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