GEORGIA, MOLDOVA AND US URGE RUSSIA TO STOP AIDING SEPARATISTS

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 5, 2007 Monday

Georgia, Moldova and the United States have called on Russia to stop
its assistance to the separatist regimes. The three countries missions
in the OSCE suggested at the organizations Permanent Council in Vienna
that Moscow cut its financial aid to the self-proclaimed republics
and join projects on the economic development of regions under the
oversight of the world community.

The Moldovan foreign ministry said that GUAM, a group of Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, and Washington expressed concern over
Russias activities in Georgias breakaway republics of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia as well as Dnestr, Moldova.The official reception of
the leaders of unrecognized republics in Moscow and their conduct of
talks there as presidents contradict the mediating status of Russia,
which should stick to a neutral stance on these conflicts, the joint
statement said.Russia is brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict through the OSCE Minsk Group,
along with the USA and France.Georgia, Moldova and the United States
expressed misunderstanding with Moscows position on the elections and
referenda conducted by the regimes in Teraspol, Tskhinvali and Sukhumi
that control the regions where violations of human rights and freedoms
are rife. The statement said further that Moscow is failing to make
enough effort to resume talks on Dnestr, which have been deadlocked
for a year. GUAM and the U.S. also cited the importance of Russias
pullout of its troops and weapons from Georgia and Moldova, in line
with the commitments it assumed at the 1999 Istanbul summit.