Joint Press Conference with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.Part 2
August 15, 2008
Bocharov Ruchei, Sochi
Совместная пресс-конференция по итогам переговоров с Федеральным канцлером Германии Ангелой Меркель.
15 августа 2008 года
Сочи
I am pleased to hear that the Russian side considers this plan a good basis for a settlement. I thought it was a good idea that Nicolas Sarkozy, in his role as President of the European Union, went to Moscow and Tbilisi precisely to organise and develop such a framework. This does not mean that the conflict is resolved but at least it represents progress.
I think that now we need to fix our eyes on the future. And in this regard it is very important that the issues Mr Medvedev mentioned were added to the statement. First and foremost is the question of a withdrawal to the lines agreed to in the plan.
The second question concerns humanitarian assistance. I clearly expressed the hope that we will deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia as well as to South Ossetia. And in South Ossetia, irrespective of the nationality of people, Ossetian or Georgian, it is very important that international organisations be able to distribute humanitarian aid. And I think that this plan I hope Im right -- can be implemented as soon as possible.
Then we talked about the need for more international observers in the region. The Russian side also sees this as a possibility. I think it is important that those peacekeeping forces there under the auspices of the OSCE be able to observe the situation and to establish an objective and informed view of the situation.
The third point is that of course we have to discuss how the situation will evolve from a political standpoint, because for a long time, more than a decade and a half, we have not been able to find at the political level a political solution to this conflict, and we cannot wait another 15 years to find a stable solution. The starting point should be the territorial integrity of Georgia.
I think it is right that in difficult times we speak openly with each other and stay in constant contact with each other. This is the principle of the French presidency, and it is also my principle. Then we need to discuss different views step by step, and move forward in that way.
QUESTION: Looking beyond the horizon a little, among the six principles President Medvedev and President Sarkozy discussed was the principle of holding international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Ms Merkel just said that Georgia's territorial integrity is an unshakeable principle as far as Berlin is concerned. The Russian authorities say that they will listen to the will of the Abkhazian and Ossetian peoples, who have already expressed their will in referendums. They expressed a desire to secede and form an independent state or join the Russian Federation.
My question for both leaders is how do you intend to reconcile these contradictory positions?
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: There are contradictions that cannot be reconciled but that can be resolved. The whole reason they are contradictions is that the different positions often cannot be reconciled. If there was another way out of this situation it would probably be good to use it, with regard to the question of status I mean. Nobody is rejecting the principle of territorial integrity as one of the fundamental principles of international law. The question is one of a specific situation in a specific country. This is where the main difficulties start.
Unfortunately, after what has happened, the Ossetians and Abkhazians are unlikely to be able to live in one state with the Georgians, or some kind of titanic efforts would have to be made to resolve the conflict. But as I said at my meeting with Mr Sarkozy and also during my meeting yesterday with the leaders of the unrecognised territorial entities - South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and again during my meeting with Ms Merkel, as the guarantor of security in the Caucasus and in the region, Russia will accept the decision that reflects the clear will of these two Caucasian peoples and will use it as the guideline in its foreign policy and guarantee its enforcement in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in accordance with the peacekeeping mandate that we have. This is my view with regard to this situation.
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