Georgia. Yes to peacekeeping with the EU, says Rogozin

(BRUSSELS2) The media war knows no holidays. It was therefore on August 15 at 15 p.m. on the premises of the Novosti press agency that the Russian ambassador to NATO, Vladimir Rogozin, accompanied by the military representative, made a point of briefing the international press on the situation. , seen from the Russian side (in other words, on the said date, there were not many of us around the table!). A beautiful piece of anthology mixing diplomatic remarks and the most traditional wooden language, with broad digressions on the history of Georgia, of Russia. When we sort it out, here's what's left. One point seems important to me: he agrees with the presence of a peacekeeping force, of observers, "including military" from the European Union. A step forward when we know that - so far - the Russians have always refused the Georgians the task of modifying the format of the peacekeeping forces

The use of force by the Russians: proportionate

The use of force was not disproportionate as has been said. On the contrary, he was very proportionate. When NATO used the force of Yugoslavia, as it did, by destroying certain objectives like television (in Belgrade) it cannot blame today for using force. And no NATO country had citizens in Kosovo like in Belgrade. It is also impossible to defend the independence of Kosovo and to proclaim the integrity of Georgia after what happened in Abkhazia and Ossetia.

The ceasefire agreement is respected

We fully respect the agreement reached after the visit of the French President. Now the urgent thing is to solve the humanitarian problems, then to promote reconstruction. Help is coming through official channels (from the Russian Emergency Agency). And special procedures (to speed up customs formalities) have been made for NGOs or private individuals, we ask them to go through this channel. (...) There was no destruction or looting. I have serious doubts about certain images seen on television. Some destruction is pure propaganda or images of other places.

On access to Gori

All the aid that arrived in Gori was of Russian origin. (...) There Red Cross has access to everything, because it is impartial. Several NGOs are also working in North Ossetia. (...) I hope that Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, can visit the region.

The fate of Abkhazia and Ossetia: not in the same state as today

I do not mention the word genocide only for emotional reasons. But the question now is
whether Ossetians and Abkhazians are ready to live in the same state as Sakhashvili. No...

Then came the time for questions

And peacekeeping forces? "Why not. Whether it's the European Union, the OSCE, the UN, we are open and ready for any eventuality, to have more observers in the region." Including military observers? "Yes why not."

On a possible return to the Cold War?

"It is no longer possible to have bloc politics in the modern world. It is impossible to consider the European security structure if one has built with an obsolete bloc system."

(NGV)

Photo credit: © NGV