Extraordinary European Council on Georgia, Brussels, 01/09/2008

European leaders gathered in Brussels on 1 September 2008 to attend an extraordinary Council meeting to consider how to respond to Russian military action against Georgia. They agreed to postpone the EU/Russia strategic partnership talks until Russian troops have withdrawn to the positions held prior to 7 August 2008. They also decided that Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic and President in office of the Council of the EU, together with José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, and Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council of the EU and High Representative for CFSP, would visit Moscow on 8 September 2008 to continue discussions towards a full implementation of the peace agreement in six points. The Council denounced the "disproportionate" Russian action and the Kremlin's "unacceptable" recognition of the two breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. At the same time, the European leaders decided to strengthen the EU's relationship with Georgia by accelerating a change on the visa requirements and a possible establishment of a free trade area.

European Commission | September 8, 2008

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