Bryza Says Russia outside Intl. Law

Photo: Reuters
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (left) speaks at the North Atlantic Council, NATO's highest political decision making body, as Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili listens, in Tbilisi, September 15, 2008.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza has sharply criticized Russia’s actions in Transcaucasia. He was speaking in Tbilisi, where a NATO council session is underway. Bryza accused Russia of not fulfilling the obligations it has taken on under the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan and the UN resolution on Georgia. Bryza said that consultations were underway with NATO ambassadors on the extent to which the European alliance members acknowledge Russia’s failure to meet its obligations.
Russia, according to Bryza, stands outside international law with its refusal to adhere to the UN resolution to respect the territorial integrity of Georgia. Bryza has visited Georgia repeatedly since the beginning of the military conflict in South Ossetia and has insisted that Russia peacekeepers be replaced with representatives of the OSCE. He has also expressed strong support for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Kommersant)