Russia refuses to make `one-millimeter` concession
June 28th, 2009 22:57
Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE member countries has finished on the Greek island of Corfu. The ministers opened talks Sunday on forging a new security framework. Details of the summit will become known later at the press conference of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.
The informal summit lasted for about three hours. French Foreign Minister has also commented the meeting. Bernard Koushner told journalists that he had personally asked the Russian delegation and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Russia make `one-millimeter concession` and agree to let the EU monitors into the conflict regions, although as Bernard Koushner said, Russia has made no concessions on this issue. Foreign Ministers of other countries have asked the Russian delegation the same, although Russia`s answer to all the delegations has been a refusal.
Bernard Koushner also said that the Russian delegation had presented Dmitry Medvedev`s new proposal on the European security, although the French Foreign Minster says that Details of the proposal have remained unclear for the European diplomats.
`Honestly, it was not the center of the discussion, because we did not know exactly what proposal we were supposed to talk about. Yes, we must talk with Russia about the security in Europe, but it is impossible not to remind that we have some principles`, Bernard Koushner said and added that access of the EU monitors to the territory behind the administrative border is necessary for making a progress, this has not been achieved though. Bernard Koushner hopes this agreement will be achieved eventually and says the Geneva talks play an important role in the process.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will hold a press conference and talk about the details of the informal summit. Reportedly, Russian Foreign Minister intends to hold a press conference as well.