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Sergey Lavrov: â€œWe will offer the initiative to the region states after setting up mechanism for Caucasus Stability & Cooperation Platformâ€

03 September 2008 09:19 (UTC +04:00)

At a joint press conference in Turkeyâ€™s largest City of Istanbul after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Lavrov said they agreed to maintain peace, security and tranquility in the region.
Lavrov, who was in Istanbul for talks on the Georgia crisis, said international responsibilities were violated and attacks were staged on South Ossetia.
He said that under those circumstances, recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia was "the only way out." He added that recognition would not only protect the security of Abkhazia and South Ossetia but also be the only alternative for those people to pursue their existence.
Lavrov said that Russia supported Ankaraâ€™s proposal to set up a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform.
He added that there is still no specific decision despite the discussions on the Turkish-offered Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform.
According to him, the proposed pact is viewed as a group similar to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
â€œIn this Association, there are many cooperation parties but the region states take the active role in decision-making. We will also hand over the initiative to the region countries after setting up a mechanism for this platform,â€ he added.
For his part, Babacan said that Turkey, under any condition, would continue to exert efforts to solve problems through dialogue and peaceful ways, adding that Turkey was following the recent incidents in Georgia with uneasiness.
Babacan said that settlement of peace and stability in Caucasus was of vital importance for Turkey which was a neighbor of the region.
He said that Turkey attached importance to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.
Lavrov accused the NATO of arming Georgia into the conflict.
According to him, Mr Babacan visited Moscow two days after Turkey recognized Kosovo as an independent state and then Russia showed no protesting remark to Turkey.
Lavrov also praised Turkey for not breaching its responsibilities under international law because of its NATO membership, apparently referring to Turkish insistence that the US should comply with an international agreement regulating passage through the Turkish Straits while sending Navy ships to the Black Sea on a humanitarian mission.
He added that Russia was satisfied with Turkeyâ€™s not taking NATO to relations with Russia.