Germany's foreign minister urged the EU to take a balanced approach to the Caucasus conflict. The EU has to keep channels of communication open with Russia if it hopes to help stabilize the region, he said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday, Aug. 14, the European Union should maintain an even-handed approach to the conflict between Russia and Georgia if it wanted to play a constructive role in forging long-lasting peace in the Caucasus. "It remains the case that a level-headed policy is the one that most helps people in the region," Steinmeier told reporters after meeting of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee. German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have carefully avoided assigning blame in the conflict. The country, which is heavily dependant on Russian energy supplies, is a strong advocate of closer ties with Moscow. Earlier this year, Germany led European resistance to plans, pushed by the US, to put Georgia on the track to NATO membership. Merkel will seek to calm the rift between Russia and the West when she meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi on Friday. This week, Merkel's spokesman said she would deliver a tough message to Medvedev in Sochi.
," Ruprecht Polenz, a veteran member of Merkel's conservative party and head of the foreign policy committee of the German parliament told Reuters the EU should bind Russia closer to the bloc and consider offering Moscow a "privileged partnership" if it shows a willingness to adopt European values.
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