VOA标准英语2008年-Russia Announces Long Stay in Breakaway Georgia

Russia says its troops will remain in South Ossetia and Abkhazia for a long time. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports.
　
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses the press in Moscow, 09 Sept. 2008

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a Moscow news conference that Russian troops, not peacekeepers, will remain on the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to respond to what he referred to as any relapses of aggression¹. He says they will be there at the request of the presidents and parliaments of the two regions and also on the basis of a Russian presidential decree.

Lavrov says the troops will stay for a long time, at least for the foreseeable future. This, he says, is absolutely necessary to prevent repetition of aggressive actions by Georgia.

Speaking in Moscow at a briefing for President Dmitri Medvedev, Russian Defense² Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said the country's presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia will total about 7,600 troops, 3,800 in each region.

Foreign Minister Lavrov says the responsibility for peace in the buffer³ zone around South Ossetia and Abkhazia is now in international hands.

He says the European Union is sending Georgian leadership a very clear signal that the burden of responsibility for peace in Abkhazia is now on the European Union as well as the OSCE and the United Nations. The Russian diplomat⁴ notes that any provocations⁵ by Georgia will be provocations against the European Union.

The presence of international observers was negotiated Monday during talks near Moscow by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says the agreement is a step forward, but makes clear that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are inseparable parts of Georgia.

Russia has recognized them as independent nations and Foreign Minister Lavrov announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with the two breakaway republics. Russia is also seeking South Ossetian and Abkhaz participation⁶ at international talks in Geneva on resolution of the Georgian conflict.

The Georgian Minister for Reintegration, Temur Iakobashvili, rejects Russia's attempt to include the two regions at the negotiating table.

"This is absolutely unacceptable for Georgia," Iakobashvili said. "We are not going to talk to war criminals, and for us Kokoity [South Ossetian leader] is a war criminal, and they are not a side in this conflict; they are puppets on the Russian side and the Russians can well represent them with their diplomacy⁷."

The president of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, and Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh were present last month in Moscow when the Russian parliament voted unanimously to recognize the independence of their regions. With the exception of Nicaragua, no other country has followed Russia's lead on recognition of the two breakaway regions.

 

1 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

4 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

5 provocations   

n.挑衅( provocation的名词复数 )；激怒；刺激；愤怒的原因

参考例句：

• We cannot ignore such provocations. 对于这种挑衅，我们不能置之不理。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They must immediately cease all their provocations. 他们必须停止一切挑衅。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。