"WE CALL FOR A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE SIDES"
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[04:40 pm] 28 January, 2009

Georgia has largely implemented PACE Resolution 1633 while Russia
has not. In particular, Russian hasn’t withdrawn its troops from the
zone of conflict, Co-rapporteur of the Committee on the consequences
of the war between Russia and Georgia, Luc Van den Brande (Belgium,
EPP/CD) announced today.

"The Assembly wants to foster a dialogue between the conflicting
sides. It doesn’t want its member states to wage a war," said the
Co-rapporteur. He suggests setting up a special committee to inquire
into the consequences of the war. The committee should involve equal
representatives from Russia and Georgia, as well as from South Ossetia
and Abkhazia.

Co-rapporteur Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, ALDE), noted that Russians
should understand the theses proposed by them as they stem from
European principles.

When presenting the viewpoint of the PACE Political Committee,
Mátyás Eörsi noted that they want "to open a window to understand
the reasons for the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war." This will
enable the Committee to avert wars in other zones of conflict,
including Nagorno Karabakh.

PACE delegates fully realise that they cannot force Russia to meet the
requirements of Resolution 1633, in part to denounce the recognition of
the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "But does it suggest
that we should mitigate the requirements? Surely, not. We should work
out new methods. This is a serious concern for the Council of Europe,"
said Lithuanian parliamentarian Egidijus Vareikis.

Today the rapporteurs mostly criticised Russia saying the latter is
against Georgia’s integration into NATO.

Polish parliamentarian Bender thinks Russia is eager to regain its
reputation of a superpower. He is anxious that Russia may attack
Poland some day.

The Head of the Russian delegation to the PACE, Konstantin
Kosachev, detailed why Russia cannot meet the PACE requirements. He
says in October 2008 PACE "made a wrong diagnosis qualifying the
misunderstanding between the countries as a Russian-Georgian conflict,
hence the structure prescribed wrong medicine." In reality the conflict
had emerged between Georgia and Osseitia and Russia had intervened
to prevent annihilation of Ossetian people. Kosachev says Russian
troops cannot be withdrawn from the territory for fear that Georgia
may resume military activities.

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