The European Union (EU) said on Monday it was concerned about Russia's anticipated recognition of Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia as a duplicate of Kosovo.
"Georgia, it is a point of concern for us because the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) decided to draw certain parallels to Kosovo on this issue," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said at a press conference after chairing a meeting with his counterparts of EU member states.
The EU was alarmed after Russia last week lifted a ban on trade and economic, financial, transport and other ties with Abkhazia along its border, a move criticized by Georgia, which said Russia would provide support for separatism.
Abkhazia, which asked the international community to recognize its self-proclaimed independence on Friday, was one of the two regions which broke away from Georgia in conflicts in the early 1990s. The other one is South Ossetia.
In response to Kosovo's Western-backed secession from Serbia, Russia had warned it would take into account the proclamation of Kosovo's independence in its policy toward Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Tbilisi says gained support from Moscow.
The EU argues that Kosovo is a one-off case which sets no international legal precedent.
Rupel, whose country now holds the EU presidency, said the EU foreign ministers have not taken any decisions on the Abkhazia issue.
"We just discussed the analysis of the situation," he said.
Ahead of Monday's meeting, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner reaffirmed EU's commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity.
"There is a growing preoccupation and anxiety that Russia may be paving the way for recognition of Abkhazia," she said, "Georgia's territorial integrity has always been clearly supported by the EU ...this is absolutely clear."
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article