Europe
Sarkozy: EU needs Lisbon Treaty to deal with Georgia crisis
The IHT reports that the Kremlin announced on Sunday that Russia's President, Dmitri Medvedev, promised in a conversation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to begin the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia, starting today from noon local time. However, it is reported that Medvedev did not specify the pace or scope of the withdrawal, and said that Russian troops would only withdraw to a "security zone" set 14km from the border with South Ossetia. The Guardian notes that the Russians intend to establish buffer zones in previously Georgian-controlled territory beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia. One of the most contentious points of Sarkozy's ceasefire plan allows Moscow "to take additional security measures" beyond the two enclaves until "an international mechanism" is established. The IHT reports that despite the pledge, American officials said that the Russian military has been moving launchers for short-range ballistic missiles into South Ossetia. The Telegraph quotes US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as saying: "there is a ceasefire, and Russia is currently not in compliance with that ceasefire".
Yesterday, several western leaders warned Russia against delaying its troop withdrawal, with Nicolas Sarkozy warning Russia of "serious consequences". Angela Merkel said that "this process should not drag out for weeks", while expressing her support for Georgia's eventual membership in NATO.
In an article in Le Figaro, French Sarkozy says "Russia must immediately withdraw from Georgia", and that if it does not, he will convene an extraordinary European Council meeting "to decide on the consequences". He also claims that "If the Lisbon Treaty, which is in the process of being ratified, had already been in force, the EU would have had the institutions it needs to cope with an international crisis", citing the permanent President of the European Council, the High Representative endowed with "a real European diplomatic service", and "considerable financial means" to ensure implementation of decisions taken.
The Guardian reports that NATO foreign ministers are to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels tomorrow to discuss their response to the crisis. The Irish Times reports that Polish President Lech Kaczynski slammed France and Germany over the weekend for being too soft on Moscow, and complained that they were trying to monopolise the EU position. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner responded saying, "We have to invent a new language with regard to Russia. That is what the European Union is trying to do."
EUobserver quotes German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as saying, "I do not advise...any knee-jerk reaction such as suspending talks on a partnership and cooperation agreement [with the EU]. Our interest in this is as great as Russia itself. Talks in the NATO-Russian Council are essential too. Because we need open lines of communication." And speaking in Moscow, Angela Merkel said: "Some of Russia's actions were not proportionate...[but] it is rare that all the blame is on one side. In fact, both sides are probably to blame. The Guardian reports that David Miliband will travel to Georgia later this week.
Guardian IHT CNN Telegraph Telegraph-Rice Weekend FT Irish Times Guardian Telegraph-Cameron Sunday Times FT EUobserver AFP AFP 2 BBC Today Programme
Georgia: comment round-up
In an article in the Sunday Times, David Cameron called for visa restrictions on Russian citizens wanting to visit Britain, for Moscow to be suspended from the G8 group of industrial nations and for its talks on a partnership agreement with the EU to be frozen. In the Telegraph, Janet Daley argues that "David Cameron and John McCain are best suited to defy Russian aggression".
A leader argues that "Britain must take back control of foreign policy," noting that the country "has been strangely absent from the Russo-Georgian conflict", represented mainly by Nicolas Sarkozy, whose "interests are not identical to Britain's." It argues: "The truth is that a common European foreign policy is already upon us. Britain could no more act unilaterally in Georgia than in the World Trade Organisation. The EU has a foreign minister, Javier Solana, and an accompanying diplomatic corps, known as the European External Action Service. Go to any non-EU country and you will find an EU mission alongside national embassies. The debate about whether or not there should be a common foreign policy is being conducted decades too late. Britain has given too little thought to the consequences of this development, and needs to consider urgently how a British foreign policy would differ from the current European one." Likewise, on his blog Dan Hannan writes: "when is the last time you can remember the UK acting wholly independently in foreign affairs? Alright, we can still decide the absolutely critical things for ourselves: whether to invade Iraq, for example. But most issues - selling arms to Beijing, funding the Hamas regime, sucking up to the ayatollahs in Teheran, sponsoring a ceasefire in Georgia - are now determined by Brussels."
In the Sunday Times Michael Portillo argued that if Tony Blair was still Prime Minister "Somehow he would have ignored the fact that France holds the presidency of the European Union and would have discovered a role for himself and his country." In the Sunday Telegraph, Sir Mike Jackson argued that "The right course for the West - without compromising its own position and values - is to show a greater understanding of why Russia behaves as it does, to accept more willingly Russia's concerns for its Near Abroad... strategic military hostility and confrontation must remain a thing of the past." In a separate piece, Edward Luttwak, senior fellow in the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington argues that "'Soft power', on which so many hopes had been pinned, has just been exposed as irrelevant."
Graham Watson argues in the Guardian that the EU needs to take the lead in the peace process with Russia. He says that it is ideally placed and is the only player that can be seen as an honest broker. Watson stresses that Europe "must not abandon Georgia", but that if it engages successfully with Russia, it will prove its worthiness on the world stage.
Sunday Telegraph-Luttwak Telegraph-Daley Telegraph-leader Sunday Times-Cameron Observer-Cameron Sunday Telegraph-Jackson Dan Hannan's blog Sunday Times-Portillo EUobserver Guardian
Russian nuclear threat to Poland
Russia made its strongest international threat since the fall of the Soviet Union on Saturday, as it responded to the US deal with Poland to station a missile defence system there. Whilst the US insists it is intended to deal with Iraq, Russia says that it suspects it is the true target. General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said that by allying itself with a nuclear country like the US, Poland was making itself a target. He said Russia's security doctrine would allow for a nuclear strike on an active ally of a nuclear country and that "such targets are destroyed as a first priority".
Economist Certain Ideas of Europe blog Saturday's Times Saturday's Telegraph Saturday's Guardian
Open Europe was quoted in the News of the World, in a piece looking at a House of Lords report on the EU Commission's Annual Policy Strategy. The report criticised the UK Government for taking a too passive an approach to proposals coming from the Commission.
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Romania replaces anti-corruption chief
Daniel Morar will not continue as chief prosecutor of Romania's anti-corruption agency, despite EU Commission backing. Observers say this could weaken the country's efforts to fight graft among top politicians.
"This is very bad news for Romania. It sends a clear message that whoever starts investigating big files will end up like this," said Laura Stefan from the Romanian Academic Society.
EU wades into Heathrow runway debate
European Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, has warned that the proposed third runway at Heathrow could cause the airport to "significantly" breach air pollution guidelines. Expansion, Mr Dimas claims, would see the airport exceed its EU-imposed nitrogen oxide targets after 2015, the latest possible date that the airport is allowed to exceed guidelines. The Government denies nitrogen oxide levels will be breached significantly.
Czech president vetoes REACH implementation law
Czech President Vaclav Klaus has vetoed an amended law according to which, in harmony with the EU regulation REACH, companies in the Czech Republic would have to register the chemicals they use.
Booker: "Fishermen treated worse than thieves, thugs and drug smugglers"
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Christopher Booker has highlighted the problems EU regulations cause fishermen. He said, "Fishermen are given quotas too small for them to earn a living, even though fish may be abundant and the quota allocated to larger vessels unused". Booker also detailed the punishments pressed for by the UK's Marine and Fisheries Agency for those who break the rules: Fines and repossessions totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds have recently been issued.
Scepticism towards EU institutions on the rise in the Netherlands
The Dutch press reports on analysis of the 2006 general election, and notes that scepticism towards the EU has been on the rise in the Netherlands since the beginning of the nineties. According to the Dutch governmental statistics agency CBS, 55% of the Dutch population opposed the EU project in 2006, whilst only 26% supported it. In 1994 30% opposed it, while 38% supported it. Only 41% of Dutch voters said they had confidence in the EU institutions, as opposed to 75% who had confidence in Dutch institutions.
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