Schwarzenberg and Plassnik met shortly before a special EU meeting German Business Leaders Oppose Sanctions Against Russia ...
Seven Czechs leave Georgia, no Czech in area of fighting-official ...
EU, Russia Open Talks on New Strategic Partnership ... called to deal with the Russian-Georgian conflict. "The situation is really serious," Schwarzenberg is quoted as having said by the Austrian news agency APA. If the EU does not adopt a clear and firm attitude to the crisis, "it can be, as a political project, written off for a long time," Schwarzenberg said. In such a case, the EU would provoke the impression that "it may be interesting in the commercial respect, but politically it does not have to be taken seriously," he added. The EU has appeared for the first time in a situation in which a certain country occupied a part of its neighbour near it, Schwarzenberg said. Like before, ethnic cleansing occurs in the region, with an effort to create a "fait accompli," he added. Schwarzenberg rejected any fear of Russia.
The country is "much weaker than many believe," he added. Those only basing their power ambitions on petrol and gas have no future, Schwarzenberg said. "I am convinced that after some time, Russia itself will understand that it has harmed itself with its policies," Schwarzenberg said. Even Russia's "closest friends," the Shanghai Six, consisting along with Russia and China also of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, has not accepted well Moscow's steps in the Georgian crisis, he added. Plassnik called Moscow's steps "Russian self-inflicted wounds." "I am convinced that the summit will arrive at a clear signal of European unity," Plassnik said. "It is impossible only to say that mistakes were made by both sides and this would be all," she added. However, neither Schwarzenberg nor Plassnik have supported sanctions on Russia. "Sanctions are rarely really efficient," Schwarzenberg said. He reiterated his support for the boycott of the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics. If Russia kept occupying a part of Georgia, the "festival of peace and joy" in the immediate vicinity of a country occupied by the organiser of the games "would be very strange," Schwarzenberg said. With the exception of President Vaclav Klaus, the Czech government backs Georgia in its conflict with Russia.
(Ceske Noviny)
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