Statements by U.S. Officials
Senator Richard Lugar, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Press Availability at the Foreign Ministry
Ankara, Turkey
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Senator Lugar: Thank you very much for coming to greet us. We’ve had a good visit and we are looking forward to an additional opportunity with President Gul to express the appreciation Americans have for Turkey. We especially appreciate the leadership Turkey has taken in Iraq and Afghanistan, most recently in Georgia offering humanitarian aid, likewise strong diplomatic aid. We admire the energy ideas of this country, likewise agriculture progress and the tremendous economic growth that has led citizens to have a better life and has led to many more associations with the United States of America. So I thank you again for this opportunity to testify to the friendship of our two countries. I’d like to respond briefly to questions or thoughts that you have.
Question: Russia, Medyedev has already announced the independence of Ossetia and Abkhazia. How will you evaluate this and what would be the effect of this decision to the stability of the region?
Senator Lugar: The recognition that you have mentioned of the President of Russia is not helpful with regard to peace and security in the area. I will not characterize it further than this except to say that the United States and most nations of the world believe in the territorial integrity of Georgia, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations. And that this ought not to be violated. We believe that negotiations are likely to proceed with regard to South Ossetia. And we suspect that they will lead to constructive results. The time frame will depend upon the cooperation of Russia and many other nations.
Question: Do you believe that this will have any negative effect on the energy security?
Senator Lugar: No, I don’t believe that it will have any effect on that. As nations of the world, all are most hopefully providing better energy security for our peoples, we’re determined to do that. There is almost a crisis mode in the energy area as well as in the food area, this particular year. It’s going to require great leadership, but this particular activity by the Russian President, I don’t believe will affect that.
Question: Mr. Senator, Mr. Saakashvili is complaining about the American attitude, especially after the conflict broke out. Because they were expecting a much more stronger support from the Washington Administration during the conflict. Do you think that the American administration is also a part of this miscalculation of the risk?
Senator Lugar: I would just simply say I’ve had a very good visit with President Saakashvili three days ago in Georgia, good dinner meeting with he and his cabinet members and other members of the Government. I’ve been a good friend of his for many years even when he was a student in Washington. And I appreciate his anxieties, but I would simply say the United States and Turkey came to the rescue as rapidly as any other nations. We’ve indicated our very strong humanitarian and diplomatic support. And we are among nations who have been working to provide a Membership Action Plan for Georgia and NATO. I’m certain we will continue to take constructive actions that will bolster that state, including our Assistant Secretary Ruben Jeffrey’s visit to assess the financial requirements of Georgia, the stability of its banks and its businesses.
Question: Regarding the Turkish initiative on Caucasus Stability Platform, what do you think about it? It will include Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Senator Lugar: Well, really the idea is a new one, and United States was not consulted about the idea before it was first announced. We’re all learning more about it as time goes on. I would just say simply, in the current crisis, discussion of this idea perhaps would be postponed until we’re certain that Russia has withdrawn its troops to the status quo ante situation, that there is stability and peace in Georgia, quite apart from lack of threat to Azerbaijan, or to Turkey for that matter or anybody involved in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. These are very serious issues.
Thank you very much.