Русская версияSpeaking to reporters in Berlin on Wednesday, Aug.
13, Merkel's
spokesman Thomas Steg said the chancellor will bring a stern
message to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday in Sochi on
the conflict over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.
The chancellor believes it is "totally unacceptable" for "the
legitimacy of the democratically elected government of Georgia to
be called into question," Steg told a news conference.
Merkel also believes strongly that Georgia's "sovereignty and the
territorial integrity of Georgia are non-negotiable," Steg said.
She will "make it clear" to Medvedev at the meeting at the Black
Sea resort of Sochi, near the disputed Abkhazia province, that
problems in the Caucasus "cannot be solved militarily," Steg added.
International observers
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Merkel promised to push for peaceful conflict resolution with
Medvedev
Merkel's visit comes amid a flurry of diplomacy in the European
Union to cement the French-brokered ceasefire.
On Wednesday, France led calls to send in international monitors
into the two separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was prepared to contribute
to peacekeeping arrangements in Georgia's two breakaway regions and
to help organize peace talks.
"The UN stands ready to facilitate international discussions as
well as to contribute to possible peacekeeping or other
arrangements for Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Ban said in a
statement.
The EU proposal to send European peacekeepers to the Caucasus
region has received a mixed response in the 27-member bloc. Some
nations have said international peacekeepers would have more
credibility in the volatile region while others have called for a
rethink of the EU's ties with Russia and a stronger condemnation of
Moscow's military offensive against Georgia.
Avoiding blame game
The issue highlights a growing divide in the bloc over how best to
handle ties with Russia.
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Divisions are emerging within the EU over the best way to handle
the Kremlin
Steg said it was natural for France, which holds the EU's
presidency, to take the lead in brokering a ceasefire but said
Merkel warned against any hasty assigning of blame for the violent
clashes that broke out between Russia and Georgia last week.
"The chancellor is firmly convinced that this is not the time for
looking into motives, for allocating blame, for denouncing anyone
or for making final judgments," Steg said.
Germany, which is highly dependant on Russian energy supplies, has
been hesitant to blame Moscow for the conflict with Russia. Foreign
Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also told reporters on Wednesday
that the EU is best served when it communicates with Russia.
It would be better and more effective to "keep channels to Moscow
and Tbilisi open" than to make "strong statements and
one-sided condemnations," Steinmeier said at an emergency
meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Politician wants "privileged partnership" with Moscow
But Merkel's determination to be tough with Russian leader Medvedev
on his country's military response in Georgia was at odds with the
views of a veteran member of Merkel's own conservative party who
said the EU should press ahead with efforts to bind Russia to the
bloc.
In an interview with news agency Reuters on Wednesday, Ruprecht
Polenz, head of the foreign policy committee of the German
parliament, said the EU should consider offering Moscow a
"privileged partnership" if it shows a willingness to adopt
European values.
"I think the EU should make Russia a very clear proposal with
clearly stated expectations in order to positively influence
Russia's future behavior," Polenz, a member of Merkel's Christian
Democratic Union (CDU) said.
Polenz said it would be a mistake to scrap ongoing partnership
talks with Russia because of its violent conflict with Georgia.
He did not spell out what such a partnership should look like but
Polenz told Reuters it should be a "far-reaching" agreement
contingent on Russia initiating reforms in the areas of justice,
human rights and political values.
(Deutsche Welle)
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