European Union Expresses Concern Over Situation In Georgia

The European Union is worried over the situation in Georgia, it said in a statement issued on Monday in Brussels. The statement described the shooting down of the helicopter of U.N. observers and the bombing of villages in the Kodori Gorge as inadmissible. The EU has called on the warring parties to refrain from military actions or political pressure with a view to avoiding the escalation of tensions and aggravation of the situation in Georgia, including Abkhazia, as well as to stepping up efforts for cooperation in combating terrorism and crime. The European Union has also called on Russia and Georgia to tighten control on their borders to prevent their crossing by Chechen terrorists, specifically into Abkhazia. The statement urged both parties in the Georgian-Abkhazian confrontation to resume efforts to find a peaceful and final settlement of this conflict, while preserving Georgia's territorial integrity.