Daily press briefing by Ministry Deputy Spokesperson

GEORGIA

We continue to be fully mobilized.

The European Union adopted the following immediate measures yesterday: an increase in personnel for the European Union Special Representative’s staff in Georgia; a coordinated European contribution to strengthening the OSCE mission approved in Vienna yesterday.

Also, several meetings were held between the French presidency and the Council Secretariat General, in which the Commission was also involved, to discuss and define the possible options for a European monitoring mission in the context of the ESDP, efficiently linked to those of the other international organizations present in Georgia at this time.

At the OSCE, it was decided in Vienna yesterday to send 20 additional monitors immediately. This is a first positive step. We pay tribute to the Finnish Chair with which we have been working very closely since the first hours of the crisis. Alexander Stubb will travel to Tbilisi tomorrow with an initial group of these new monitors which includes French citizens.

These monitors will be joining those already present on the ground. They will be deployed in the areas adjacent to South Ossetia. We hope that they may also be deployed rapidly in South Ossetia.

France continues to favour an increase in this initial reinforcement and is supporting the Finnish Chair’s efforts to this end.

At NATO, foreign ministers decided yesterday on several measures to help Georgia’s reconstruction. These measures are designed primarily to help in assessing the damage to critical civilian infrastructure and the Georgian armed forces, and to advise the Georgian authorities on the necessary recovery measures.

Ministers also asked the North Atlantic Council to develop the modalities for establishing a NATO-Georgia Commission to oversee cooperation activities with that country, in particular the implementation of these measures.

Ministers reaffirmed their support for the agreement signed by Georgia and Russia, and called for its immediate and complete implementation. They stated that this conflict would affect NATO-Russia relations.

At the UN, France presented a new draft resolution in the Security Council yesterday afternoon focusing, in support of the six-point agreement, on two priorities in view of the urgency on the ground: compliance with the ceasefire which the parties committed to, and the immediate implementation of the agreed withdrawal of Russian and Georgian forces.

An initial exchange of views was held to discuss the draft, which also recalls the need to respect earlier resolutions. Negotiations will be continuing in the next few days.

Q. - Your reaction to the Russians’ rejection of the French draft resolution in the Security Council? What do you think of Russian statements that the French text was contrary to the ceasefire terms negotiated by President Sarkozy on 12 August?

As I just said, the draft we presented in New York yesterday is in support of the six-point agreement. The situation on the ground requires us to: the ceasefire and withdrawal of forces have to take effect.

Q. - Isn’t President Medvedev’s announcement about a withdrawal except for 500 personnel for additional security measures in contradiction to statements made by the French presidency (…)?

The 500 figure is the size of the Russian peacekeeping contingent authorized under the existing arrangements. Let me remind you that all the parties, including Georgia, agree on the additional temporary security measures on which talks are continuing.

(…)

MISSILE SHIELD

Q. - What’s your reaction to the signing of the US-Polish agreement on an anti-air defence system based in Poland? Russia considers the agreement a provocation and that it’s not necessary. What does France think about the threats that the Polish system is designed to block, the agreement with the Czechs and Ukraine’s wanting one?

The agreement between the United States and Poland is a bilateral agreement to implement the US plan to set up elements of a third missile defence site in Europe.

The plan, given its nature and technical characteristics, especially its location and the number of planned interceptors, does not seem in our view to threaten Russia or affect Russian-American balances.

This question obviously affects the security of Europe, and we hope to see the exchanges between Russians and Americans continue.

We believe the increase in the missile threat from the Middle East, especially Iran, is a fact which is becoming clearer with every year. So it is legitimate to think about how to respond to it. The European Union is also making a full contribution to this in the context of the European strategy for fighting against proliferation, adopted in 2003.

DALAI LAMA’S VISIT

Q. - The Minister and the Secretary of State are both meeting the Dalai Lama on Friday. Is it a joint meeting with Ms Bruni-Sarkozy (the three of them) or separate meetings?

I can confirm that Bernard Kouchner will meet the Dalai Lama at the inauguration of the temple at Roqueronde. Rama Yade will also do so at this time.

I’ve no information on the precise arrangements for this event./.