“When we talk about Europe’s key security interests, and these countries are seeking to follow the European path, the presence of Russian troops there is an obvious security risk. It is in our interest that they leave,” Kallas said after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cyprus on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing News Georgia.
Kallas also argued that if Ukraine were asked to accept arms limitations as part of a future peace agreement, similar obligations should apply to Russia.
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Brussels has been discussing such a position for several months. In February, Kallas circulated a document to EU member states outlining European interests and demands that she believes should be reflected in any negotiations on a long-term peace settlement in Europe.
The proposals included the withdrawal of Russian troops from neighbouring states, including Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Belarus.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the EU proposals when asked about them by journalists on Thursday.
“I do not discuss idiotic statements,” Lavrov said.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also commented on Kallas’s remarks. Kobakhidze has frequently accused what he calls the “European bureaucracy” of acting against Georgia’s interests, including by allegedly supporting “radicals” in the country and attempting to drag Georgia into war.
While he did not criticise the idea of Russian troop withdrawal itself, Kobakhidze said statements from European officials were not enough.
“Everyone must be consistent in defending our national interests. There should not only be statements on specific issues. We need to see through actions that the European bureaucracy stands with the Georgian people,” the prime minister said.
Kobakhidze also accused European officials of acting against Georgia’s interests in recent years and creating additional risks for the country.
The presence of Russian troops remains one of the most sensitive issues in relations between Tbilisi and Moscow. Following the August 2008 war, Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region and established military bases there. Georgia and most countries around the world regard the territories as occupied.
