(30 Apr 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Georgian Foreign Ministry building
2. Mid of flags
3. Wide of Georgian deputy foreign minister Grigol Vashadze walking to lectern to speak
4. Cutaway of cameras
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Grigol Vashadze, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister:
"Russia has lost any political, moral or legal ground to be either facilitator or provider of peacekeepers to this region. And in this context the declaration of Ukraine, that they are ready to consider questioning about providing the peacekeepers for the conflict zone is an absolute breakthrough. Russia cannot and shall not have exclusive rights to be in the conflict zone even notwithstanding they are covered up by the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) mandate."
6. Wide of Georgian Foreign Ministry building
STORYLINE:
Georgia's foreign ministry on Wednesday hailed as "an absolute breakthrough" news that Ukraine was considering sending a peacekeeping contingent to the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Speaking at a news briefing in Tbilisi, Georgia's acting Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said: "Russia has lost any political, moral or legal ground to be either facilitator or provider of peacekeepers to this region."
"Russia cannot and shall not have exclusive rights to be in the conflict zone even notwithstanding they are covered up by the CIS mandate," Vashadze said.
Georgia urged Russia on Wednesday not to enlarge its peacekeeping force in Georgia's two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
According to Georgia's parliament speaker, Russia has already begun strengthening its military presence in Abkhazia.
Abkhazia broke from Tbilisi's control in the 1990s, seeking independence or absorption into Russia, along with another separatist region, South Ossetia.
Russia has peacekeeping forces in both regions, but Georgia contends the troops support the separatists.
Russia's Defence Ministry said yesterday it was building up troop contingents in the separatist regions because of provocative actions by Tbilisi.
Tensions have spiralled in recent weeks between the neighbouring countries as Georgia pushes for NATO membership and Russia calls for closer contacts with the separatist regions.
Georgia accused Russia this month of shooting down an unmanned Georgian reconnaissance plane that was flying over Abkhazia.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has repeatedly vowed to bring Abkhazia and South Ossetia under government control peacefully.
Russia's foreign minister has accused Georgia of seeking war.
The ministry said the measures were within strength limits set earlier by the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of former Soviet republics that includes both Russia and Georgia.
The CIS was deployed in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone in 1994.

Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть