Estonian Foreign Ministry voices concern over developments re Georgia

22.04.2008

TALLINN, Apr 22, BNS - The Estonian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed its deep concern over the continued increase in tensions in the situation surrounding Georgia.

The foreign minister, Urmas Paet, described the latest steps by Russia in exacerbation of relations with Grorgia as not permissible.

He said the shooting down in Georgian territory of an unmanned aircraft belonging to Georgia, attempts to deepen the wish of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to separate from Georgia and unilateral abandoning of the CIS economic blockade of Abkhazia are behavior which the international community cannot accept.

Paet added that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, Russia should stop this kind of aggressive behavior and also revoke the regulation concerning the establishment of official contacts with the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Russia is a member of a number of international organizations and groups, such as, for instance, the United Nations Secretary General's friends of Georgia group. This means that Russia should contribute namely to the solving of the situation, not to its exacerbation," Paet was quoted by spokespeople for the ministry as saying.

Georgia cannot and must not be left on its own in such a situation and one has to stand up against behavior violating international norms, he said.

The international community, including the European Union, have offered an assessment on their part too, said the minister.

Paet stressed that both sides must refrain from exacerbating the situation. Both Russia and Georgia must look for ways to peacefully solve the situation, he said.

The Georgian president has held out a new peace plan for Abkhazia, and in the words of the Estonian minister this is a good opportunity to start a substantive dialogue leading to a solution.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee