China, central Asian countries won't support actions in Georgia

C3

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia's hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement yesterday denouncing the use of force and calling for the respect of every country's territorial integrity.

Enlarge Photo

AP

A house burns yesterday in Redvi, an ethnic Georgian village in South Ossetia. The Georgian government yesterday said Russian forces have driven all Georgians out of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and are now ethnically cleansing other areas of Georgia.

A joint declaration from the six-member Shanghai Co-operation Organization also offered some support for Russia's "active role in promoting peace" following a ceasefire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow's international isolation.

Russia's search for support in Asia had raised fears that the alliance would turn the furor over Georgia into a broader confrontation between East and West, pitting the U.S. and Europe against their two main Cold War foes.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had appealed to the Asian alliance, which is made up of China, Russia and four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations, for unanimous support of Moscow's response to Georgia's "aggression."

But the alliance, which was created in 2001 to improve regional co-ordination on terrorism and border security, opted to take a neutral position and urged all sides to resolve the conflict through "peaceful dialogue."

"The participants ... underscore the need for respect of the historical and cultural traditions of each country and each people, and for efforts aimed at preserving the unity of the state and its territorial integrity," the alliance's statement said.

None of the other alliance members joined Russia in recognizing the independence claims of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in an interview with CNN, accused the U.S. of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to provide a talking point in the American presidential campaign. The White House press secretary Dana Perino called the claims "patently false."

Russia's decision to recognize Georgia's separatist regions Tuesday sparked another storm of criticism from the West because both provinces make up roughly 20 per cent of Georgia's territory. The West had already criticized Russia for what it calls a disproportionate use of force in fighting with Georgia, its small southern neighbour that wants to join NATO.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood expressed satisfaction about the Asian group's statement, saying "it wasn't what I would call an endorsement of Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia."

China has traditionally been wary of endorsing separatists abroad, mindful of its own problems with Tibet and Muslims in the western territory of Xinjiang. The joint statement, which was unanimously endorsed, made a point of stressing the sanctity of borders -- two days after Russia sought to redraw Georgia's territory.

The Asian alliance's statement offered some praise of Moscow's actions, at least in the context of the peace deal signed five days after the war began Aug. 7. The alliance said it supports "the active role of Russia in promoting peace and co-operation in the given region."