Clinton vows support for Georgia, slams Russian ‘occupation’By
Christophe Schmidt (AFP)
TBILISI — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reassured Georgia on Monday with a pledge of steadfast support and called on Russia to end its "occupation" of two breakaway Georgian regions.
"The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," Clinton said at a joint press conference with President Mikheil Saakashvili during a visit to Tbilisi.
Clinton also urged Moscow to abide by a ceasefire agreement that stipulates its forces must return to positions held before the 2008 Georgia-Russia war over the rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"We continue to call for Russia to abide by the August 2008 ceasefire commitment… including by ending the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions," she said.
Clinton had earlier said that the United States would continue to denounce Russia’s military presence in Georgian territory despite Washington’s "reset" in relations with Moscow, which had raised concerns in Tbilisi of an abandonment of US support.
"We continue to object to and criticise actions by Russia which we believe are wrong and on the top of the list is the invasion and occupation of Georgia," Clinton said in a speech to women leaders.
"The United States supports the Georgian people, we support Georgian democracy," she said.
Saakashvili said he was encouraged that the US was continuing to stand by Georgia despite the "reset" with Moscow…
Or this, from Reuters:
U.S. warns Georgia not to give Russia excuse to act
By Arshad Mohammed Mon Jul 5, 2010
TBILISI (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Georgia on Monday not to give Moscow any excuse to take aggressive action against the south Caucasus nation, still reeling from its August 2008 war with Russia.
Clinton repeated the U.S. rejection of what she called Russia’s "invasion and … ongoing occupation" of South Ossetia and said diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute had to be intensified.
But she also suggested the solution might ultimately be to strengthen Georgian economic, judicial and political systems, thereby giving people in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist region, a reason to want to be part of Georgia.
"The more Georgia can deal with its own problems, the stronger the case becomes," Clinton told a meeting of Georgian women leaders in the capital Tbilisi. "That is the greatest answer. That is the rebuke that no one can dispute." …
So, according to the smartest woman in the world, it was Georgia’s fault that Russia invaded them. They weren’t be ‘democratic’ enough. And we all know what a stickler Mr. Putin is for democracy.
U.S. President Barack Obama’s "reset" of relations with Russia has raised questions among Georgians about whether Washington has subordinated their interests to better ties with Moscow…
Russia’s war with Georgia caused the worst rift with the West since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It also led some U.S. officials to question Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s judgment and the wisdom of his warm embrace by the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
And by “some U.S. officials, Reuters means the Obama administration.
Before meeting Saakashvili, Clinton said: "I would strongly urge that Georgia not be baited or provoked into any action that would give any excuse to the Russians to take any further aggressive movements."…
In other words, do everything the way Mr. Putin says, and he might allow you to pretend to be an independent country. For now.
Christophe Schmidt (AFP)
TBILISI — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reassured Georgia on Monday with a pledge of steadfast support and called on Russia to end its "occupation" of two breakaway Georgian regions.
"The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," Clinton said at a joint press conference with President Mikheil Saakashvili during a visit to Tbilisi.
Clinton also urged Moscow to abide by a ceasefire agreement that stipulates its forces must return to positions held before the 2008 Georgia-Russia war over the rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"We continue to call for Russia to abide by the August 2008 ceasefire commitment… including by ending the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions," she said.
Clinton had earlier said that the United States would continue to denounce Russia’s military presence in Georgian territory despite Washington’s "reset" in relations with Moscow, which had raised concerns in Tbilisi of an abandonment of US support.
"We continue to object to and criticise actions by Russia which we believe are wrong and on the top of the list is the invasion and occupation of Georgia," Clinton said in a speech to women leaders.
"The United States supports the Georgian people, we support Georgian democracy," she said.
Saakashvili said he was encouraged that the US was continuing to stand by Georgia despite the "reset" with Moscow…
Or this, from Reuters:
U.S. warns Georgia not to give Russia excuse to act
By Arshad Mohammed Mon Jul 5, 2010
TBILISI (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Georgia on Monday not to give Moscow any excuse to take aggressive action against the south Caucasus nation, still reeling from its August 2008 war with Russia.
Clinton repeated the U.S. rejection of what she called Russia’s "invasion and … ongoing occupation" of South Ossetia and said diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute had to be intensified.
But she also suggested the solution might ultimately be to strengthen Georgian economic, judicial and political systems, thereby giving people in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist region, a reason to want to be part of Georgia.
"The more Georgia can deal with its own problems, the stronger the case becomes," Clinton told a meeting of Georgian women leaders in the capital Tbilisi. "That is the greatest answer. That is the rebuke that no one can dispute." …
So, according to the smartest woman in the world, it was Georgia’s fault that Russia invaded them. They weren’t be ‘democratic’ enough. And we all know what a stickler Mr. Putin is for democracy.
U.S. President Barack Obama’s "reset" of relations with Russia has raised questions among Georgians about whether Washington has subordinated their interests to better ties with Moscow…
Russia’s war with Georgia caused the worst rift with the West since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It also led some U.S. officials to question Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s judgment and the wisdom of his warm embrace by the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
And by “some U.S. officials, Reuters means the Obama administration.
Before meeting Saakashvili, Clinton said: "I would strongly urge that Georgia not be baited or provoked into any action that would give any excuse to the Russians to take any further aggressive movements."…
In other words, do everything the way Mr. Putin says, and he might allow you to pretend to be an independent country. For now.
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