EU Army to Police Georgia-Russia BufferZone?

international | eu | other press

Monday September 01, 2008 16:26

by redjade

An Garda Siochana in the Caucuses?

Or maybe the Irish Army defending the EU from Georgia?
Or maybe the Irish Army defending Russia from Georgia?

Will the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty matter?

ESDP missions

Russia Says Ready to Accept EU Police Mission in Georgian Buffer Zones

BRUSSELS (EUX.TV) -- Leaders of the 27 countries in the European Union are to agree on Monday to send an EU police mission to Georgia as soon as possible. Russia, meanwhile, said it's ready to accept these EU police monitors also inside the buffer zones with South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

According to people familiar with the negotiations at today's EU summit, a declaration is being drafted in which the EU member states will agree to send police offers to Georgia to be posted in various parts of the country. The mission would be part of the European Security and Defense Policy, known as ESDP.

"It would be a full-fledged ESDP mission," said a diplomat.

Meanwhile, Russia's ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, told a conference organized by the German Marshall Fund for international relations that Russia is willing to accept such an EU police mission inside the buffer zones it has set up near the borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"We are prepared to discuss an international police mission in the buffer zones," said Chizhov. "We will be looking forward to discussing this with our EU partners."

more at
http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=20403

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European Security and Defence Policy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Security_and_Defe...olicy
Lisbon Treaty

If the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified it will create a new post of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (superseding the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, instead of a Union Foreign Minister per the failed Constitution.) However the post's ability to function independently of member states is limited through an agreement....