Czechs to Allot 310,000 Dollars in Aid for Georgia
Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK
Brussels/Paris/Prague, 11 August: Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg decided today to allot up to five million crowns [310,000 dollars] for humanitarian aid to Georgia, ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalova said today.
The government will discuss a probable further financial aid and the forms of help to Georgia at one of its nearest meetings, Opletalova said.
The European Commission announced today that it had set aside one billion euros for humanitarian aid to civilians that were afflicted by the war in South Ossetia.
France as the country that holds the rotating EU presidency will send the first plane with aid to Georgia today.
France seeks to mediate cease-fire in the current conflict between Georgia and Russia. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner today persuaded Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in Tbilisi to accept European Union’s proposals aimed to put an end to the conflict with Russia in South Ossetia. However, Russia has rejected the proposal of cease-fire regardless of the pressure from the international community.
The EU foreign ministers, including Schwarzenberg, will discuss the conflict between Russia and Georgia at an extraordinary meeting in Brussels.
Schwarzenberg, who has cut his holiday short over the conflict in Georgia, said on Sunday that Prague supports Georgia where by a sad coincidence fights broke out shortly before the 40th anniversary of the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Schwarzenberg is reportedly in contact with his Georgian counterpart Eka Tqeshelashvili and also with Kouchner.
On Friday, the Georgian military used force to gain control of the country’s separatist and pro-Russian province South Ossetia. It met with armed resistance of the Russian military that sent in troops to reinforce the Russian members of the South Ossetian peace corps.
Tens, hundreds and even thousands of victims have been reported by various sources from the South Ossetian centre Tskhinvali.
Originally published by CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1605 11 Aug 08.
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