Honour guard stand at attention next to coffins with the remains of Georgian servicemen at a military airfield outside Tbilisi May 6, 2008.
Photo: Reuters
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Lavrov: Georgia Better Focus on Own Problems
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has commented to reporters on the recent development in relations with Georgia cautioning against applying force to settle conflicts with breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“I hope that it won’t happen, that Georgia’s leadership will be able to resist temptation of staking on force, of looking again for external enemies to explain existing problems to the nation,” Lavrov said.
“Georgia has lots of problems with democracy,” the foreign minister pointed out. “They should deal with them rather than grope for the explanation, whereby Russia hinders them from sorting out these problems,” Lavrov added.
Russia has breached no international laws by deciding to lift sanctions imposed on Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 1996. “In principal, our actions differ from what is happening in Kosovo. We don’t breach the international laws. For us, the unconditional priority is the interests of people rather than some political freedoms,” Lavrov pointed out.
The RF Foreign Ministry released April 16 a statement saying that the country’s president committed the government to render the subject aid to nations of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The actions taken in respect of Abkhazia and South Ossetia don’t imply that Russia has chosen to confront Georgia, the ministry specified.
www.kommersant.com
|
|
|
