"We call on Russia to take immediate action to withdraw its troops from the areas it is supposed to leave under the six-point agreement signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The alliance is considering seriously the implications of Russia's actions for the NATO-Russia Relationship," said a statement issued after an emergency NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
 |
|
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer attends a press conference after an extraordinary meeting of NATO foreign ministers on the situation in Georgia, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Aug. 19, 2008. NATO has called for an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops to positions held on Aug. 6, the day before the conflict with Georgia broke out in South Ossetia, while reiterating the alliance's full support for Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan) |
There can be no military solution to the unresolved conflicts, the NATO ministers reiterated.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer warned that "there cannot be business as usual" in NATO-Russia relations under the current circumstances.
"We are not abandoning the NATO-Russia Council, but as long as Russian forces are basically occupying a large part of Georgia, I cannot see why the Council will convene at any level," he said.
"Our relations will depend on concrete actions Russia will take to honor the words of President Medvedev to abide by the six-point ceasefire agreement."
However, the NATO chief said the alliance certainly does not intend to cut off all contact and close all doors of communication with Russia, but added that future relations "will depend on Russia."
"The six-point plan should be adhered to. This should be the very simple first thing to do," said Scheffer.
In the statement, NATO called on Moscow to demonstrate -- both in word and deed -- its continued commitment to the principles upon which both sides agreed to base their relationship.
NATO ministers on Tuesday also reiterated their full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
"A peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Georgia must be based on full respect for the principles of Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity recognized by international law and UN Security Council resolutions," the NATO statement said.
At the emergency meeting, NATO ministers agreed to establish a NATO-Georgia Commission, a consultation mechanism that will supervise future relations with Georgia, which seeks to become a member of the alliance.
The ministers said they were gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Russia-Georgia conflict zone and agreed on a number of measures to assist the Georgian government.
Scheffer said he will send a special representative in the coming days to consult with the Georgian government on the situation on the ground.
NATO will also send a team of 15 civil emergency planning experts to help the Georgian government assess the damage caused by the military action and help restore critical services necessary for normal public life and economic activity, he added.
The meeting urged the conflicting parties to ensure access for international humanitarian relief efforts to all affected populations.
The one-day NATO foreign ministers' meeting was convened to assess the situation in Georgia and discuss its wider implications for Euro-Atlantic stability and security, and prospects for future NATO-Russian relations.
A senior Russian military official said Tuesday that Russian troops have begun pulling out of Georgia in line with the French-brokered six-point peace plan.
"We shall comply with all of the six items of the plan at a pace the situation allows for," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
Under the agreement, Russia will pull back the reinforcements attached to the peacekeepers, Nogovitsyn said, adding that the pullback will proceed more intensively once the extra peacekeeping posts are in place by Aug. 22.
Russia declared a halt to its military offensive in Georgia last Tuesday after days of conflict in South Ossetia. According to Russian figures, around 1,600 civilians were killed during the hostilities.
