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On 1 September an extraordinary meeting of the European Council was held in Brussels. Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis headed the delegation from Latvia, which included also Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins. This session was devoted to the crisis in Georgia and to the relations of the European Union with Russia.
The European Council strongly condemned Russia's unilateral decision to recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, because a lasting solution to the conflict in Georgia must be based on full respect for the principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
During the course of the meeting it was emphasised that as broad as possible an EU presence is necessary in the eventual new peace process. The EU Member States were unanimous that maximum assistance should be provided to Georgia towards the elimination the consequences of the war, in particular to overcome the economic and humanitarian crisis and for the renewal of its economy.
The EU Member States accentuated that in the current circumstances the EU should intensify its efforts to ensure the security of energy supplies and the diversification of energy supply routes and sources.
The European Council gave a mandate to President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to continue discussions with Russia, with a view to achieve the full application of the six-point agreement on ceasefire between Russia and Georgia as a result of his visit to Moscow on 8 September. The EU Member States agreed to postpone negotiations regarding the new Russia-EU Partnership Agreement until the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Georgia has been completed.
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