Joint Press Conference with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel
August 15, 2008
Bocharov Ruchei, Sochi
ANGELA MERKEL: On this subject, I would only say clearly that of course we cannot send a peacekeeping force that has not been accepted by all the parties concerned. We sent a KFOR mission [a UN-mandated NATO-led peacekeeping force] to Kosovo and police forces. They are there now, and the European side wanted to provide them. Prior to that there were UN forces. This will need to be negotiated here, but from a political standpoint we have said that the European Union is open to such negotiations. And so we will have to wait a bit. All this is important to understand when trying to answer the question about whether in the near future we will energetically send international observers along with peacekeeping forces, if that is the right term. In addition, we also talked about the need for an international component. I think it would be useful to all parties, because international public opinion is of course monitoring the situation, and this would give us a higher level of objectivity.With regard to the German side, I would like to say - and we talked about this at the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union - that this is not the time to try to identify precise causes and or to analyse how things evolved the way they did. The President of Russia has given me the Russian perspective, and now the time has come to draw the appropriate conclusions. For my part, I said that, even given the description of how this situation developed I considered and I still consider Russias response to have been disproportionate. Therefore I very strongly insist that the six principles plan be implemented as extensively as possible, in order to ensure that Russian troops withdraw from Georgian territory, and I have made this clear. We refer to it as the heart of Georgian territory so that they will leave it. This is one of the principles that must now be implemented as soon as possible. I think that in such complex conflicts the blame is very rarely all on one side. And I say now to both sides that it only very rarely that one side is not to blame at all. Now we need to move on.QUESTION: My question is for you, Mr President.
Most people in the West do not share Russia's interpretation of this conflict. Does it worry you that this might lead to a long-term worsening in Russia's relations with the USA and the European Union?
Ms Federal Chancellor, are you worried that this conflict and the way it has developed make a rethinking of Russian-German and even Russian-European relations necessary?And a question for both leaders: did you discuss this subject?
Thank you.
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: All we did was discuss the problems and consequences arising from this conflict.
As far as our interpretation goes, I can put everything in very clear terms. Of course we do not want any worsening in relations, either long term or short term. On the contrary, we want full-fledged development of relations with the European Union and with individual European countries, and also with the United States of America and other countries.We live in a very fragile world and it is very clear that a global worsening in the international situation only plays into the hands of the most reactionary forces. You would have to be blind and unaware of what is going on not to understand this. Our position is that common sense must prevail and that our partners need to be very clear and aware about what has happened and what the consequences are, and not look for a single guilty party and all the more so not lay all the blame on the Russian Federation, but do everything possible to minimise the consequences of these tragic events.
For our part, we are ready to work with everyone openly and in goodwill, and we do not want to damage our relations with anyone. But at the same time, we will continue to carry out our peacekeeping mandate, and if anyone continues to attack our citizens and our peacekeepers, of course we will respond just as we responded on this occasion, and there should be no doubt about this.ANGELA MERKEL: Of course, events have changed our agenda. Of course theres no question about that. Today we would have talked about entirely different topics, if it were not for this conflict. The same thing is happening in the European Union, and it will be the same in regard to NATO and with other bodies. That means that finding a solution to this conflict has to be the subject of our discussions. Ive made some critical remarks on this subject. But that does not mean that on the basis of the general principles, which of course must continue to work, we will not go on to converse about other things or to discuss other topics. Our countries are too interdependent on each other for that. All I want to say now is that it is important that the principles be respected.
