By Martin Banks - 12th February 2009
The EU should consult closely with the new American administration about engaging with Russia
House of Lords report
A new report praises the EU's handling of last year’s Russia-Georgia conflict, labelling it 'rapid and reasonably successful.'
But the report, published on Thursday by the UK House of Lords EU committee, says Russia has not fully complied with the terms of the ceasefire negotiated by the French presidency of the EU.
The committee argues that the “pace and tone” of negotiations on the new EU-Russia partnership and cooperation agreement “should be informed by Russia's fulfilment of its obligations under the ceasefire agreements.”
The report looks in detail at the causes of the conflict when Russia and Georgian troops clashed in South Ossetia last August. Georgian attempts to regain control of South Ossetia were repelled by Russian forces.
The British peers conclude that some blame can be attributed to all sides.
The committee says that Russia's use of military force was disproportionate in response to provocative statements and military action by Georgia and point to a Russian military build up on the Georgian border prior to the August war.
However, the report said that Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili drew unfounded confidence in confronting Russia as a result of ‘mixed signals’ from the former Bush administration.
The committee stresses that the ongoing disputes between Russia and the West over missile defence and Nato enlargement “risk further complicating” EU-Russia relations.
It recommends that the EU should consult closely with the new US administration about engaging with Russia “in a firm but constructive, fair and balanced way.”
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