By Xinhua,
Nice, France : Leaders of the European Union (EU) and Russia on Friday concluded their half-day summit with little tangible achievements.
The EU failed to persuade Russia into changing its position on Georgia, a dominant issue at the summit. Russian President Dimitri Medvedev was tough on the issue and refused to back down on Moscow’s position to recognize the two breakaway regions of Georgia as independence states.
“The recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is our final decision. It is irrevocable,” Medvedev told reporters at the EU-Russia summit.
The EU had said before the summit that the status quo in Georgia is not acceptable and that Georgia’s territorial integrity should be restored.
In response, Medvedev said: “Russia fully recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia, taking into account the recognition as independent subjects of international law of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.”
The Russian president rejected EU’s demands that Moscow withdraw its troops to pre-conflict positions. “The Medvedev-Sarkozy plan has been fully, appropriately accomplished,” said Medvedev, referring to a deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which asks for a withdrawal of Georgian and Russian troops to pre-conflict lines.
Sarkozy said Russia has implemented most of the plan, but more needs to be done, referring to further Russian troops withdrawal from South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Russia has pulled out its troops from Georgia proper as a result of Sarkozy’s mediation. But Moscow retained thousands of troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia as peacekeepers. Russia had peacekeepers in the two breakaway regions before the Aug. 8 conflict, but at a much smaller number.
Medvedev also rejected the EU’s accusation that the Russian use of force in Georgia was disproportionate. He said Moscow’s military intervention was “limited, necessary and in accordance with international law.”
Georgia launched a sudden attack on South Ossetia on the night of Aug. 7, prompting a rapid military reaction from Russia. Russian troops defeated the Georgian military in five days and took both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as well as swathes of Georgian territory.
The two sides also failed to announce dates for the resumption of negotiations on a framework agreement. The EU had hoped that Russia could agree on the resumption of talks in early December.
Both sides now say they hope to see the negotiations to resume in the near future. The new agreement will succeed the existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
The EU and Russia agreed that both Russia and the United States should refrain from deploying missiles or missile defense systems in Europe at least before mid-2009 when a pan-European security framework is discussed between Russia, the United States and the EU.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he has proposed a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (EU) in June or July of 2009 to discuss a pan-European security framework.
“Between now and then, please no more talk about the deployment of missiles or anti-missile protection systems,” Sarkozy told reporters at the EU-Russia summit.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev agreed. “I agree that before a global agreement is signed on ensuring European security, we should all refrain from unilateral steps that affect security (in Europe),” Medvedev said.
Sarkozy said he told Medvedev how concerned the EU was about the Russian president’s recent statement that Moscow would deploy short- and medium-range missile in Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad in response to a U.S. plan to deploy a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Kaliningrad borders Poland and Lithuania.
Medvedev is promoting his proposals on a new security architecture for Europe. The OSCE summit will be an opportunity for Euroatlantic discussions on it as the OSCE groups EU countries, Russia, as well as the United States and Canada.
Sarkozy said a NATO summit in April 2009 will be an opportunity for the EU to exchange views with the United States on this issue.
On trade issues, Russia agreed to postpone export duties on certain forest products, said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. He did not give details.
The EU and Russia face many trade disputes with restrictions on wood exports the most pressing one. High tariffs on Russian wood exports mean that wood-related production in some EU member states no longer makes economic sense, said an EU trade official prior to the summit. Foreseen increase in tariffs on Jan. 1, 2009 would have made the situation worse, said the official, who asked not to be named.
Other trade issues include Russia’s demand for payments for Siberian overflight rights, its barriers on some agricultural products and delays in customs reforms. The EU had accused Russia of lacking the political will to address trade disputes.
The leaders rushed to Washington for a Group of 20 summit on the current global financial crisis. Both the EU and Russia said they hold similar views on this issue and are ready to push for reform of the international financial system.