Secretary Condoleezza Rice Remarks With French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the Situation in Georgia VIDEO PODCAST

Remarks With French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the Situation in Georgia FULL STREAMING VIDEO Secretary Condoleezza Rice Le Fort de Bregancon, France August 14, 2008 PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE

SECRETARY RICE: I want to thank you, Mr. President, for inviting me to this very beautiful place and for making room in your schedule on very short notice. I want very much to thank France, as the EU presidency, for the very fruitful mediation that it has undertaken to try and resolve the crisis in Georgia. It is very good that the United States and the European Union, through France, can work so closely together when these crises arise.

I will repeat what I said yesterday, which is it is time for this crisis to be over. The Russian President has said that their military operations have halted. We would hope that he would be true to his word and that those operations will halt. And we will work very hard to see if we can bring an end to this crisis. It is long overdue. Too many innocent people have died and Georgia, whose territorial integrity and independence and sovereignty we fully respect, must be able to get back to normal life.

I’m going to Tbilisi tomorrow, as you know, as the President said, to underscore America’s support for that government. And I just want to thank you again, Mr. President. Thank you.

QUESTION: (In French.)

PRESIDENT SARKOZY: (In French.)

SECRETARY RICE: Merci.

QUESTION: There are widespread reports that the Russians are sabotaging Georgian installations, air fields and other things, as they may or may not be leaving. I’m wondering what your reaction to that is.

Also, today, your colleague – both of your colleagues – Foreign Minister Lavrov has said that the world should forget about Georgia’s territorial integrity and that the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia will not be able to be rejoined with Georgia by force. Your response to that?

SECRETARY RICE: I would only make two responses. First of all, the President spoke yesterday to concerns about Russian activities, and we’ve discussed those. Those need to stop. The ceasefire, the provisional ceasefire that was agreed to, really must go into place. And that means that activities, military activities, have to stop.

As to the second comment, since I haven’t seen the comments of my colleague Sergey Lavrov, I don’t want to comment on something that’s out of context. But let me just be very clear that the United States of America stands strongly, and the President of France has just said, for the territorial integrity of Georgia. This is a member-state of the United Nations whose internationally recognized boundaries have to be respected. There will be a process for dealing with what has been a difficult conflict in South Ossetia and in Abkhazia, but it proceeds, of course, from UN Security Council resolutions that are already there. And so there shouldn’t be any question about the territorial integrity of Georgia.

2008/T23-1 Released on August 14, 2008

Tags: Condoleezza Rice and Nicolas Sarkozy

President Bush Discusses Situation in Georgia VIDEO

Flanked by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, President George W. Bush delivers a statement in the Rose Garden Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, regarding efforts by the United States to resolve the crisis in Georgia. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

President Bush Discusses Situation in Georgia, FULL STREAMING VIDEO. Urges Russia to Cease Military Operations PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE 11:10 A.M. EDT In Focus: Global Diplomacy THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I've just met with my national security team to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I've spoken with President Saakashvili of Georgia, and President Sarkozy of France this morning.

The United States strongly supports France's efforts, as President of the European Union, to broker an agreement that will end this conflict.

The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia. We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.

Russia has stated that changing the government of Georgia is not its goal. The United States and the world expect Russia to honor that commitment. Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire. Unfortunately, we're receiving reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with these statements. We're concerned about reports that Russian units have taken up positions on the east side of the city of Gori, which allows them to block the East-West Highway, divide the country, and threaten the capital of Tbilisi.

We're concerned about reports that Russian forces have entered and taken positions in the port city of Poti, that Russian armored vehicles are blocking access to that port, and that Russia is blowing up Georgian vessels. We're concerned about reports that Georgian citizens of all ethnic origins are not being protected. All forces, including Russian forces, have an obligation to protect innocent civilians from attack.

With these concerns in mind, I have directed a series of steps to demonstrate our solidarity with the Georgian people and bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I'm sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France, where she will confer with President Sarkozy. She will then travel to Tbilisi, where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government. On this trip she will continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia.

I've also directed Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to begin a humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia, headed by the United States military. This mission will be vigorous and ongoing. A U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies is on its way. And in the days ahead we will use U.S. aircraft, as well as naval forces, to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies.

We expect Russia to honor its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance. We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for civilian transit. We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia. And we expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country.

As I have made clear, Russia's ongoing action raise serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. In recent years, Russia has sought to integrate into the diplomatic, political, economic, and security structures of the 21st century. The United States has supported those efforts. Now Russia is putting its aspirations at risk by taking actions in Georgia that are inconsistent with the principles of those institutions. To begin to repair the damage to its relations with the United States, Europe, and other nations, and to begin restoring its place in the world, Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis.

Thank you.

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 13, 2008

Tags: President Bush