EU should stop provocative actions by Georgia: Russia

The EU should "take the necessary measures so the EU monitors in the zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia... can fully achieve effective control of these territories, so they are not used for the preparation of new provocative actions," AFP quoted Lavrov as saying in televised remarks.

 

Lavrov was speaking a joint press conference with Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

 

On Thursday, Lavrov said Georgia was sending special forces to the areas near South Ossetia and Abkhazia in breach of a ceasefire and accused EU monitors of taking a "light view" of such incidents. Tbilisi denied the claim.

 

The European monitoring mission, which consists of at least 200 unarmed observers, deployed in Georgia on Oct. 1 as part of an EU-brokered ceasefire agreement.

 

The agreement ended a brief war between Russia and Georgia that broke out in August over South Ossetia, a Moscow-backed separatist region of Georgia.

 

U.S. SANCTIONS ON ARMS TRADER

Lavrov also said Friday U.S. sanctions against Russia’s state arms trader defies international law and will hurt bilateral ties.

 

Russia will demand that the United States reverse its decision to impose sanctions against Russia’s Rosoboronexport arms trading monopoly, he was quoted by AP as saying.

 

The United States has imposed sanctions on Rosoboronexport along with a dozen of other firms from China, Sudan, Venezuela and other countries for their alleged roles in supplying sensitive technology to Iran, North Korean and Syria.Â

 

He said sanctions were based on U.S. legislation rather than international law and condemned the move as an example of Washington’s unilateralism.Â

 

Photo: AFP