From: EurasiaDigest (digest@eurasianet.org)
Date: Fri May 02 2008 - 15:20:58 EDT
U.S., NATO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER DEPLOYMENT OF RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO
ABKHAZIA
U.S. State Department and White House spokespersons both expressed
concern on April 30 at Russia's stated intention to increase its
peacekeeping troops in the unrecognized republic of Abkhazia, some 80-90
percent of whose population hold Russian passports. State Department
spokesman Sean McCormack said "we have asked Russia to reconsider" some
of its recent steps that he said risk destabilizing the situation in the
conflict zone. In Brussels, NATO spokesman James Appathurai similarly
said the decision to send more Russian peacekeepers to Abkhazia "does
not contribute to stability, but undermines it," "The New York Times"
reported on May 1. In telephone conversations on April 30 with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili, OSCE Chairman in Office and Finnish Foreign Minister
Alexander Stubb called on all parties to "refrain from unilateral
measures and threats to use military force" and to "re-engage in
negotiations aimed at a peaceful resolution" of the conflict, according
to osce.org. Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis warned on
April 30 of the risk that tensions between Russia and Georgia over
Abkhazia may "escalate out of control." He stressed the shared
responsibility of both countries to restore a situation conducive to the
resumption of peace talks, and called on Russia to ensure that its
peacekeepers' presence "will have a positive influence on peace and
stability in the region," according to a statement posted on coe.int. LF
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