European Union: no sanctions against Russia

EU leaders are not going to introduce any sanctions against Russia at the forthcoming summit on the situation in Georgia, one of high-ranking diplomatic sources in France said today.

However, Bernard Kushner, Minister for Foreign Affairs of France, now presiding in the European Union, reported yesterday, on August 28, that EU was going to impose sanctions on Russia because of the conflict with Georgia and to take "many other actions" against the Russian Federation.

"Of course, the time to impose sanctions hasn't arrived yet," a diplomat who asked not to disclose his name told the Reuters.

In the meantime, it was decided that the situation in South Ossetia would be discussed in September at the regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), as Thomas Hammarberg, CE's Commissioner for Human Rights, has announced.

"No doubts that this issue will be discussed, and I'm sure that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly will include the point into their resolutions," Mr Hammarberg said in Moscow at press conference. He also noted that PACE would discuss the issue of international presence in the conflict zone, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

Tarzan Kokoity, acting deputy chairman of the Republic's Parliament, told journalists today that on September 2 in Tskhinvali an agreement would be signed on placement of Russian military bases in the territory of South Ossetia.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin is sending thanks for support of its actions to compatriots. The statement of Russian MFA runs that "in the context of tragic events in South Ossetia, the MFA received messages from the World Coordination Board of Russian Compatriots, regional and country organizations, International Council of Russian Compatriots and numerous representatives of Russian Diaspora who live in different parts of the world. They express their support to resolute actions of Russia, which rose to defend residents of South Ossetia, the majority of whom are Russian citizens, and compassion to those who fell innocent victim of the criminal gamble," the "Gazeta.Ru" reports.

We remind you that on August 28 some members of the UN Security Council moved an initiative to send a UN mission to Georgia and South Ossetia for fact-finding.