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Asian alliance snubs Russian plea for support
2008-08-28
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia's hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement Thursday denouncing the use of force and calling for respect for every country's territorial integrity. Muzi.com News 10077508-0 (muzi.com)A joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization also offered some support for Russia's "active role in promoting peace" following a cease-fire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow's international isolation. Muzi.com News 10077508-1 (muzi.com) France, meanwhile, said the European Union was considering imposing sanctions against Russia. Muzi.com News 10077508-2 (muzi.com) "Sanctions are being considered ... and many other means as well," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said at a news conference in Paris. He did not elaborate. Muzi.com News 10077508-3 (muzi.com) The West has already criticized Russia for what it calls a disproportionate use of force in fighting this month with Georgia, its small southern neighbor that wants to join NATO. Muzi.com News 10077508-4 (muzi.com) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had appealed to the Asian alliance -- whose members include Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- for unanimous support of Moscow's response to Georgia's "aggression." Muzi.com News 10077508-5 (muzi.com) But none of the other alliance members joined Russia in recognizing the independence claims of Georgia's separatist regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Muzi.com News 10077508-6 (muzi.com) Medvedev's search for support in Asia had raised fears that the alliance would turn the furor over Georgia into a broader confrontation between East and West, pitting the U.S. and Europe against their two main Cold War foes. Muzi.com News 10077508-7 (muzi.com) But China has traditionally been wary of endorsing separatists abroad, mindful of its own problems with Tibet and Muslims in the western territory of Xinjiang. The unanimously endorsed joint statement made a point of stressing the sanctity of borders -- two days after Russia sought to redraw Georgia's territory. Muzi.com News 10077508-8 (muzi.com) "The participants ... underscore the need for respect of the historical and cultural traditions of each country and each people, and for efforts aimed at preserving the unity of the state and its territorial integrity," the declaration said. Muzi.com News 10077508-9 (muzi.com) "Relying exclusively on the use of force has no prospects and hinders a comprehensive settlement of local conflicts," the declaration added, in what could also be seen as criticism of Georgia, which tried to retake South Ossetia by force. Muzi.com News 10077508-10 (muzi.com) The alliance statement also expressed "deep concern" over the conflict and urged "the appropriate sides to resolve the existing problems through peaceful dialogue and apply efforts to reconciliation and promotion of negotiations." Muzi.com News 10077508-11 (muzi.com) At the same time, the carefully crafted statement offered some praise of Moscow's actions, at least in the context of the peace deal signed five days after the war began, on the night of Aug. 7. Muzi.com News 10077508-12 (muzi.com) "The SCO member states welcome the adoption in Moscow on Aug. 12, 2008, of the six principles of resolving the conflict in South Ossetia and support the active role of Russia in promoting peace and cooperation in the given region," the statement said. Muzi.com News 10077508-13 (muzi.com) The four Central Asian members of the group -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- all seemed reluctant to damage their relations with Europe and the U.S. Muzi.com News 10077508-14 (muzi.com) Kazakhstan enjoys significant Western investment in its rich hydrocarbon sector, and impoverished Kyrgyzstan earns $150 million in aid and rent for hosting a U.S. air base that supports military operations in Afghanistan. Muzi.com News 10077508-15 (muzi.com) But overall, the summit highlighted Russia's isolation. Muzi.com News 10077508-16 (muzi.com) Despite continuing Western protests and a visit by U.S. warships to Georgia's Black Sea coast, Russian troops remain at checkpoints inside areas controlled by Georgia prior to the recent conflict. Muzi.com News 10077508-17 (muzi.com) While a cease-fire agreement calls for both sides to withdraw to their previous positions, the Kremlin says the agreement allows Russian forces to occupy "security zones" outside the rebel regions. Muzi.com News 10077508-18 (muzi.com) In a rare gesture of conciliation Thursday, Russian forces turned over 12 Georgian soldiers on the border of Abkhazia. The Georgians were seized Aug. 18 and paraded -- blindfolded and hands tied behind their backs_ on top of Russian armored vehicles. Muzi.com News 10077508-19 (muzi.com) The soldiers appeared unharmed Thursday, and some were smiling. Muzi.com News 10077508-20 (muzi.com) But there was also fresh conflict in the region. South Ossetia claimed to have shot down an unmanned Georgian spy plane that was scouting the skies over the republic. Georgia denied the report. Muzi.com News 10077508-21 (muzi.com) Russia responded to Georgia's military offensive on South Ossetia by sending hundreds of tanks rolling into the rebel region, pushing Georgian troops out of South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, before driving deep into Georgia proper. Muzi.com News 10077508-22 (muzi.com) On Tuesday, Russia recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent, a move that set off another storm of criticism from the West. The two regions make up roughly 20 percent of Georgia's territory. Muzi.com News 10077508-23 (muzi.com) The West accuses Russia of excessive force in response to the Georgian offensive, of failing to meet its troop withdrawal commitments under an EU-brokered cease-fire and of violating international law in recognizing the two separatist regions. Muzi.com News 10077508-24 (muzi.com) In Dushanbe, Medvedev blamed Georgia for the conflict. The alliance, he said, would send a "serious signal for those are trying to justify the aggression" by endorsing Russia's actions. Muzi.com News 10077508-25 (muzi.com) But Russia has so far found little unequivocal support, even among stalwart foes of the U.S. Muzi.com News 10077508-26 (muzi.com) Alexei Malashenko, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said he was surprised that even Cuba and Venezuela had not yet followed Russia's lead in recognizing the separatist Georgian regions. Muzi.com News 10077508-27 (muzi.com) "The Soviet Union was not so alone even in 1968," he said on Ekho Moskvy radio, referring to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia that crushed a liberal reform movement in the Warsaw Pact nation. Muzi.com News 10077508-28 (muzi.com) In Vienna, a senior Georgian official said Russian forces and their armed allies have driven all Georgians out of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and were now ethnically cleansing villages in other areas of Georgia. Muzi.com News 10077508-29 (muzi.com) "As of now, we can say with confidence that in both regions -- Abkhazia and Ossetia -- ethnic cleansing is fully completed," EkaTkeshelashvili told reporters at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Muzi.com News 10077508-30 (muzi.com) "They've expelled from all villages remnants of the Georgian population -- they've destroyed their houses, they've looted their property, they've burned down their fields, forests," she said. Muzi.com News 10077508-31 (muzi.com) The Russian ambassador to the Vienna-based organization, Anvar Azimov, denied the charge. Muzi.com News 10077508-32 (muzi.com) The joint statement in Dushanbe offered thinly veiled criticism of the West -- but some leaders at the summit went further. Muzi.com News 10077508-33 (muzi.com) Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose country has observer status with the alliance, accused "Western powers" of interfering in Central Asia and hindering its independent development. Muzi.com News 10077508-34 (muzi.com) "Their unilateral actions are continuing," Ahmadinejad said. Muzi.com News 10077508-35 (muzi.com) He has worked hard to gain membership for his country in the alliance, but so far those efforts have failed. Medvedev said the door was open to enlargement but did not mention Iran, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency. Muzi.com News 10077508-36 (muzi.com) In addition to Iran, several other countries attended as observers, including India, Pakistan, Mongolia and Afghanistan, whose delegation was headed by President Hamid Karzai. Muzi.com News 10077508-37 (muzi.com) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was created in 2001 to improve regional coordination on terrorism and border security. Muzi.com News 10077508-38 (muzi.com) ___ Muzi.com News 10077508-39 (muzi.com)
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