...

Georgia's President Saakashvili visits Sweden

Georgia Materials 30 October 2008 19:39 (UTC +04:00)

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt hosted Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Thursday, and discussed the fallout of the recent war between Georgia and Russia, reported dpa.

Reinfeldt noted that Sweden has pledged large sums to Georgia and contributed personnel to a European Union monitoring team.

The Swedish premier told reporters that Stockholm did not feel Russia had fulfilled all the terms in agreements signed after the August war between the Caucasus nation and Russia.

"We think it is unacceptable that they have recognized parts of Georgia," Reinfeldt said.

Concerning partnership talks between Russia and the European Union, Reinfeldt noted that the 27-nation bloc was "split" but that "the Swedish message is that it is not time to go back to anything like business as usual with Russia."

Saakashvili, who Wednesday visited neighbouring Norway, repeated his view that Georgia had been subjected to "a clear cut case of invasion and aggression."

"Russia's credibility had been totally destroyed," he said, "they spoke about genocide" but said the claims were "not true," citing a report from watchdog Human Rights Watch.

The Georgian leader said that Russia was building a 100-kilometre long wall in Abkhazia and had renamed a town in the separatist region after Soviet leader Lenin, saying "this is an occupying force taking us into the past."

Saakashvili said he believed that "resistance" by Georgian forces had averted a Russian attempt to take over Tbilisi.

Latest

Latest