VOA常速英语2008年-US Urges Russia to 'Repeal' Action on Georgian

By David Gollust
State Department
18 April 2008

The United States is urging Russia to repeal¹ orders earlier this week allowing increased contacts with two separatist regions in Georgia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in a telephone talk with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Friday. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Officials here are welcoming a conciliatory Russian statement on Georgia, but they are pressing for the repeal of steps ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday providing for increased contacts with the two separatist areas.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both of which border Russia and have large ethnic-Russian populations, have resisted control from Tbilisi since Georgia, a former Soviet² Republic, became independent.

Mr. Putin's April 16 instructions to the Russian Foreign Ministry³ called for Russian officials to accept the legality of certain documents issued by authorities in the two areas and cooperate with them in trade and other matters.

Russia said the action did not mean it was seeking confrontation⁴ with Georgia, but the Tbilisi government called it part of a de facto annexation⁵ and a violation⁶ of international law.

The United States joined the European Union and NATO in expressing concern about the Russia action, which was described by a senior official here as "political mischief⁷."

At a meeting Friday with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she had just discussed the matter with her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and is very concerned about it:

"The United States is absolutely committed to the territorial⁸ integrity of Georgia," she said.  "We believe that there should be an effort to carry out the plans that the Georgians have talked about to try and deal with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  Obviously, the people of those regions need to have a good life and Georgia needs to provide for them. But we are very concerned about the steps that have been taken and we've made our views known to the Russian government."

Rice said she also discussed the issue Thursday with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

In apparent response to criticism of its action, Russia  issued a statement Friday saying that President Putin had ordered steps to repair troubled relations with Georgia, including the restoration of postal⁹ links and an end to visa restrictions¹⁰.

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said anything that enhances state-to-state and neighborly relations between Georgia and Russia is positive, but said the United States would still "urge and counsel" that the April 16 actions by Moscow be repealed¹¹.

That call was reiterated¹² by the State Department in a written statement, which said the Russian action challenged Georgia's territorial integrity, and is not in keeping with Russia's status as a facilitator in Abkhazia and South Ossetia settlement efforts.

The State Department welcomed new proposals by Georgian President Saakashvili to resolve the Abkhazia conflict and urged the de facto authorities there to seriously consider them.

It also urged Moscow to work constructively¹³ with efforts by the U.N. Secretary-General and other international frameworks on the Georgian issues.

1 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

5 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

6 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

7 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

8 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

9 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

10 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

11 repealed   

撤销，废除( repeal的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The Labour Party repealed the Act. 工党废除了那项法令。
• The legislature repealed the unpopular Rent Act. 立法机关废除了不得人心的租借法案。

12 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

13 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。