Caucasus - Russia - Strasburg

Author: Serhiy DoikoPhoto: InterMedia consulting

On August 28 the leadership of the Council of Europe and leaders of PACE unanimously supported quite predictable proposition - to hold debate on conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi in scope of the autumn session of the Assembly (September 29 - October 3).

The European Union leaders gathered in an emergency session today to review their stance on Russia's invasion of Georgia. It's the first emergency EU meeting since the run-up to the Iraq war in 2003. With conflicting positions from the UK, France and Germany, analysts say the summit will likely produce support for Georgia and a major rethink on European ties with Russia-but no radical changes.

The high officials of the Council of Europe were sharp in their estimations of the recent events in the Caucasus. They roughly criticized the fact of recognition by Moscow the independence of Abkhazia and Ossetia.

Carl Bildt the chairman of the  Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (Sweden) said Russia would "pay a high price for its actions in the Caucasus if countries such as Georgia and Ukraine had closer relations with the European Union and Nato."

The EU's 27 member states are divided in how to respond to Russia's actions with many wary of alienating Moscow. Sweden though has taken a hard line against Russia since the start of the Georgian conflict ealr last month. Last week, Bildt said the Russian recognition of the Georgian rebel enclaves South Ossetia and Abkhazia was "a deliberate violation of international law and basic principles for stability in Europe" that "dramatically escalated the crisis between Russia and the rest of the world."

"The unilateral recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by the Russian Federation violates the territorial integrity of a fellow Council of Europe member state. It jeopardises prospects for a negotiated settlement of the dispute about the future status of these two regions. Russia cannot have it both ways. In the past, Russia has strongly supported the principle of territorial integrity. The decision to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia must strike any objective observer as being inconsistent with this principle. The ultimate victim of this decision is the international credibility of the Russian Federation. The Russians cannot invoke international law only when they feel like it," Terry Davis the General Secretary of the Council of Europe (Great Britain).

"Having became a member of the Council of Europe, Russia undertook to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of the neighboring countries, the given statements made by Russia, broke this promise into pieces," Lui Maria de Putsch, the president of the PACE (Spain) said.

"Recognition by the Russian Federation the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is a decision which I can only condemn. The given event is not a good news fro Europe. In particular for the Caucasus," Yavuz Mildon, the chairman of the local and regional authorities of the Council of Europe (Turkey) said.

The chairman of the permanent delegation of the VRU to PACE Ivan Popesku shared the IMC his forecasts concerning the urgent debates on Russian-Georgian conflict during the autumn part of the PACE session 2008.

- The decision to consider issue on conflict between Russia and Georgia was predictable. But now it is difficult to say what the discussion will be. PACE is likely to put a question not to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. More concrete information will be after the PACE session of the political committee in Paris.

- Is it a right decision of the PACE committee to discuss the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi at the nearest session?

- Any event happens in the EU country-member, especially if it is urgent one, is always discussed.

- How do you think, how the discussion will be held?

- I think that there will be not only critical positions towards Russia. The position of Mikhail Saakashvili will be also criticized.

- How will the Ukrainian delegation to PACE will act in Strasburg?

- For us the VRU would be very important to adopt any resolution, address of statement of the estimation of the given situation.

- If the VRU does not adopt such resolution?

- Then every member of our delegation will act in accordance with the free mandate, which functions in the Council of Europe.