Moscow - Russia's new president Dmitry Medvedev urged the
leaders of post-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia on Friday to resolve their
difficult ties with Moscow, without Western involvement.
Disputes between Moscow and its neighbours have taken centre stage
this year as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization met with Russian
opposition to Georgia and Ukraine's membership bids.
In spite of US support, both states were discouraged when Moscow
aired its laundry and Europe worried that chronic gas disputes with
Ukraine and a stand-off with Georgia over the Russian-backed rebel
region of Abkhazia might threaten its security.
Medvedev has said a key goal of his presidency is restoring
Russia's former influence with post-Soviet neighbours, and in
meetings Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Friday he again
warned against NATO's eastward expansion.
Medvedev charged Ukraine would be in breach of a partnership
treaty between the two countries if it joins NATO, Russia's foreign
minister said.
The treaty 'contains obligations for two parties not to do
anything that would create threats or risks for the security of the
other,' Lavrov told reporters. 'We believe NATO expansion, including
in Ukraine, would create a risk for Russian security.'
The talks Friday were Medvedev's first real foreign policy test
since taking office last month, held on the sidelines of an informal
meeting of CIS leaders and ahead of a major economic conference in St
Petersburg.
Russian business daily Kommersant called the meeting to include
all 12 heads of Moscow's former vassal republics 'a real baptism of
fire' for Medvedev, without his mentor and predecessor Vladimir Putin
at his side.
International attention was focused on the Kremlin leaders'
meetings with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili on Friday
as mounting tensions over Russia's presence in the rebel region of
Abkhazia has foreign powers pushing for peace talks.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana was meeting with
rebel leaders in Abkhazia also on Friday.
But Medvedev rejected foreign efforts to mediate the conflict on
Friday.
'I met with our German colleagues,' he said of his first foreign
policy visit to Europe on Thursday. 'They are worried about the
future of Georgian-Russian relations, but I think we handle this
ourselves,' news agency Interfax reported.
'I think that we are, on our own, the most capable of resolving
the questions, overcoming the difficulties that exist,' Medvedev said
at a press conference before turning to ask Saakashvili, 'What do you
think?'
'There are a lot of unresolved questions, but there are no
questions that are impossible to resolve,' Saakashvili said
responding to Medvedev's sally Friday.
The Georgian president has expressed hopes the new presidency will
provide a window for better relations after a difficult time with
Putin, who was not shy of bellicose rhetoric targeting Georgia.
'Russia and Georgia are countries that are very close to each
other historically, culturally ... the current situation is
artificial and does not work to anybody's advantage,' Saakashvili
said.
After talks with Medvedev, Yushchenko also welcomed the offer to
address problems face-to-face.
'We are neighbours and forming our relations in many spheres that
perhaps inevitably means there will be problems. I am confident that
we will solve the problems faced by our people, our countries,' he
was quoted by news agencies as saying in St Petersburg.
Medvedev's first trip abroad to Kazahkstan and China was seen as a
message to the West of Russia's interests in Central Asia and its
readiness to form an alternative alliance with its booming eastern
neighbour.
In keeping with the policies of his mentor Putin, the 42-year-old
Kremlin head has said the priority of his foreign policy will be to
strengthen Russia's ties with the CIS states.
Moscow's relations 'have recently been haunted by failures' in the
post-Soviet space, newspaper Kommersant said, referring to Russia's
perceived loss of clout to the West marked by the so-called colour
revolutions.
The ultimate defeat for Moscow would be Ukraine and Georgia's
inclusion in NATO, a fear which lies at the heart of current
escalations with Tbilisi.
Saakashvili, backed by the United States, has demanded Russia
withdraw over 300 Russian troops deployed to Abkhazia after stepping
up diplomatic ties with the rebel republic - two steps Tbilisi sees
as Russia's creeping annexation of its territory.
But Lavrov said Medvedev and Saakashvili had not discussed the
April 20 shooting down of a Georgian spy plane, which saw their
acrimonious relations burst onto the international scene.
But Lavrov said Medvedev and Saakashvili had not discussed the
incident. Referring to the future, he said 'the ball is on the
Georgian side now.'
Georgia accused a Russian fighter jet of taking down the drone,
but Abkhaz rebels claimed responsibility and Russia said the flights
were in breach of a 1994 ceasefire agreement that left 2,500 Russian
peacekeepers patrolling the breakaway region.
© DPA 2008
NoharnessJun 6th, 2008 - 16:24:19
The United States should get out of Europe altogether. I cannot think of any better way to assuage Russian Paranoia. This would leave Europe on its own when it comes to dealing with Russian, but the Europeans prefer to negotiation to military deterrence anyway.
Report this comment