By IRNA,
London : Prime Minister Gordon Brown was attending an emergency session of the EU Council Monday to discuss the conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The meeting in Brussels, the first EU emergency summit since February 2003 in the run-up to the Iraq war, was called by France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, the current holder of the EU presidency, who negotiated a ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi.
While Britain is seen more closely allied with the former communist countries of the Baltic and central Europe in supporting tough action, the EU is divided with Germany, France, and Italy reported to be more reluctant to penalize Russia.
In an article for the Observer newspaper on Sunday, Brown issued a warning that Moscow should expect a determined response to the “naked aggression” of Russia’s military intervention in Georgia.
The British premier went as far as suggesting that Russia’s membership of the G8 grouping of big industrial democracies could be frozen.
“In the light of Russian actions, the EU should review – root and branch – our relationship with Russia,” he said, adding that he had told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the weekend to “expect a determined European response.”
But reports indicated that the emergency summit is not expected to bring about any radical movement in Europe’s relations with Russia, but that temporary diplomatic penalties could be approved.
Rather than imposing sanction, the Guardian newspaper suggested that the meeting is “more likely to offer stronger support for Georgia in its conflict with Moscow, pledging reconstruction aid, easier visas for travel to Europe, greater trade.”
“France is worried that any tough action agreed by 27 European leaders at this afternoon’s summit in Brussels will provoke Russian retaliation and undermine its chances of playing the peacemaker,” the daily said.
One of the central issues seen is Europe’s growing vulnerability to its dependence on Russia for a third of its oil and 40 per cent of its gas.