France calls for European summit over Georgia

[cal04]

Source: Reuters

France on Sunday called for a meeting of European leaders on Sept. 1 to discuss the crisis in Georgia and the European Union's relations with Russia.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement that France, in its role as current president of the European Union, had called for the summit which will take place in Brussels.

Leaders will discuss the Georgia crisis and examine the EU's relations with Russia and possible EU aid to Georgia.

Sarkozy held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday and called on Russian troops to leave Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti.



Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LO465317.htm

[LiberalFighter]

1. Will Sarkozy be in close communication with Bush?

[Mudoria]

2. He'll probably be in close contact with the other

European leaders as well...:eyes:

[cobalt1999]

3. Good.

Let Europe deal with Georgia and Russia. The US doesn't need to be involved.

[ohio2007]

4. Sarkozy to visit Syria soon

Wednesday 27 August 2008

Just days after a trip by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that he will visit Syria on September 3rd. France has been working to normalise ties between Syria and Lebanon and the West. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday he would go to Syria on September 3, the latest step in the two states' bid to normalise ties cut after the 2005 murder of Lebanon's ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.

Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac severed ties with Syria in response to the assassination, after accusing Damascus of involvement in the murder. Syria has denied the claims.

Washington continues to blacklist Damascus as a state sponsor of terrorism but France has moved to bring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of the diplomatic cold.

Sarkozy made the announcement during a speech to France's ambassadors gathered in Paris for their annual meeting on the country's foreign policy.

He said he rejected the idea of isolating Syria, preferring to take "another route, more risky it is true, but more promising: open dialogue leading to tangible progress."

snip


http://www.france24.com/en/20080827-sarkozy-visit-syria-kouchner-assad&navi=MOYEN-ORIENT

Wonder how long til Assad sells out that new Russian air defense system, he's been promised,to the highest bidder ?

[ohio2007]

5. EU considers sanctions on Russia

snip
China also sees territorial integrity and the defence of national sovereignty as almost sacrosanct values in its diplomacy abroad, our correspondent says.

snip

Earlier, seven of the world's leading industrialised nations - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and UK - said Moscow's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia violated Georgia's integrity and sovereignty.

The group also said it deplored Russia's "excessive use of military force in Georgia and its continued occupation of parts of Georgia".

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Western countries should re-examine their relations with Russia and warned Russia not to start a new Cold War.

Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, Mr Miliband said Moscow had not reconciled itself with the new map of the region and that the West should look at ways to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas.

Russia said it was the last country that wanted a new Cold War.


snip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7585580.stm

Thats the first mention of China I have seen in an article on Georgia but don't expect China to compare the rape of Nanking during the Japanese occupation .