Support The Moscow Times!

Germany Seeks EU Conference

BERLIN -- Germany said Monday that it would push for a European Union conference with Georgia's neighbors to help bring stability to the region.

The proposal for the conference, which Germany said carried the working title "Reconstruction and Stability in Georgia and the Region," comes in the midst of a debate on how Europe should deal with Russia and its neighbors over the Georgia crisis.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after a meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Sunday that the EU should intensify its contacts with Georgia, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"She particularly mentioned countries which haven't been directly included in the [EU] neighborhood policy so far," German government spokesman Thomas Steg said.

Germany will propose the idea of the joint conference to France, which currently holds the EU presidency, Steg said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more