European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pottering on Monday called for unity among European Union (EU) members in dealing with Russia on the issue of Georgia, saying the EU aims for dialogue with the giant neighbor.
"The European Union must now speak to Russia with a single voice and act decisively: we must uphold our positions with determination and at the same time be prepared for dialogue," Pottering said during a meeting with EU leaders at the beginning of the extraordinary summit of the 27-member bloc which focused solely on the Georgian crisis.
Pottering said that the EU should maintain the aim of building "strategic partnership" with Russia based on shared values, in particular respect for human rights and principles which govern dealings within the international community.
"Relations based on partnership between the European Union and Russia are in our shared interests. Peace on our continent in the 21st century requires a strong and effective European Union, cooperating with a stable and hopefully also democratic Russia," he added.
The extraordinary summit, which started Monday afternoon, was devoted to the Georgian crisis and the EU's future relations with Russia.
The leaders, who are expected to show support for Georgia, will be unlikely to agree on sanctions against Russia.
In a draft statement prepared for the summit, there was no mention of sanctions against Russia.
Earlier this month, Georgia sent in troops to reclaim South Ossetia, its breakaway region, triggering a military counter-offensive by Russia. The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement between Tbilisi and Moscow brokered by France.
Russia last week recognized South Ossetia and another breakaway region of Abkhazia as independent states, a move that angered the West.
Pottering stressed that the EU must play "a determined role" in securing a peaceful, lasting solution to the conflict in Georgia on the basis of the principles of international law and must be prepared to support the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the ground.
However, he said that there was no justification whatsoever for Russia's response although "the president of Georgia made a serious mistake" in launching military action against the South Ossetian town of Tskhinvali.
"By invading the territory of an independent and sovereign state, Russia has breached the principles of international law and, in particular, Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, in an irresponsible manner," he said.
The EU parliamentary speaker urged an appropriate response from the EU on the issue of Georgia, demanding that the EU's role not be confined to "simply that of an observer or a mediator."
"The conflict in Georgia represents a major challenge for the European Union and, at the same time, a decisive test of our political cohesiveness," he said.
Source:Xinhua
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