Punishing Russia could hurt Europe, says Kouchner

French FM Bernard Kouchner believes that sanctions against Russia could prove too costly for the EU.

Izvor: B92

Sunday, 07.09.2008.

13:30

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French FM Bernard Kouchner believes that sanctions against Russia could prove too costly for the EU. In an interview with Newsweek, he wondered, "What sanctions do you want against the country supplying you? You want us to cut off its atmospheric gases?" Punishing Russia could hurt Europe, says Kouchner His comments came in the wake of the war in Georgia and the subsequent deterioration of relations between the EU, whose presidency France currently holds, NATO, and Russia. Russia supplies one third of Europe's oil and gas demand, and Kouchner said that a reaction to this dominance could be "solidarity among consumers". "One reaction could be a European gas-buying unit, meaning solidarity among consumers. That's a priority of the French EU presidency. We're working on it." But he rejected calls for economic sanctions to be introduced against Moscow. "[Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev said, 'Be careful, we can impose sanctions, too'. You remember when they did that for Ukraine. What sanctions? We cut off commercial relations? It's possible, but we have the WTO and we want a market economy. If the market economy tries to cut relations with a big market like Russia, it will be difficult. No one proposed serious sanctions." Kouchner also said that good relations with Russia should be preserved when it comes to the policy toward Iran.

Punishing Russia could hurt Europe, says Kouchner

His comments came in the wake of the war in Georgia and the subsequent deterioration of relations between the EU, whose presidency France currently holds, NATO, and Russia.

Russia supplies one third of Europe's oil and gas demand, and Kouchner said that a reaction to this dominance could be "solidarity among consumers".

"One reaction could be a European gas-buying unit, meaning solidarity among consumers. That's a priority of the French EU presidency. We're working on it."

But he rejected calls for economic sanctions to be introduced against Moscow.

"[Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev said, 'Be careful, we can impose sanctions, too'. You remember when they did that for Ukraine. What sanctions? We cut off commercial relations? It's possible, but we have the WTO and we want a market economy. If the market economy tries to cut relations with a big market like Russia, it will be difficult. No one proposed serious sanctions."

Kouchner also said that good relations with Russia should be preserved when it comes to the policy toward Iran.

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