Russia welcomes ‘responsible’ EU!

(BBC)
Russia has welcomed the “responsible” outcome of an EU crisis summit that condemned the country’s intervention in Georgia but did not impose sanctions.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it regretted the bloc’s accusation of a “disproportionate” response in Georgia.

But it said that most EU countries had shown they wanted to continue partnerships with Russia.

EU leaders agreed to suspend talks on a strategic pact with Russia until its troops were withdrawn from Georgia.

But Russia expressed merely “regret” over this decision, classing it as the latest in a long line of blockages to a much-delayed agreement.

“Moscow over the past two years has got used to artificial obstacles to this document,” the ministry said in a statement.

“There were calls from some states to impose sanctions on Russia and freeze relations,” it continued, adding: “The main thing, however, is they are in the minority and the majority of EU countries have manifested a responsible approach.”

Russia rejects EU partnership talks threat!

(CNN)

Russian officials Tuesday criticized the European Union for threatening to postpone talks on a new political and economic partnership deal over the war in Georgia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued another warning to the West over Georgia.

The Associated Press quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko as saying that a “partnership” with the EU “should not be a hostage to the conflict” over Georgia.

Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s envoy to the EU, added that he was not surprised that the European Union stopped short of imposing sanctions on Russia, AP said.

He told reporters in Moscow that both sides are “too interdependent,” adding that “Russia and the European Union are bound by destiny to be close partners.”