August 10, 2008
No. 174
The Honourable David Eme erson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today released a statement on the continuing hostilities in Georgia:
"I am very concerned about the expansion of hostilities well beyond the regio n of South Ossetia. Rather than acting as a neutral peacekeeper, Russia has escalated the hostilities through its attacks on Georgian towns and cities outside the conflict zone. Canada calls on Russia to respect Georgia's borders and to desist from any further encroachment on Georgia's territorial integrity."
Minister Emerson also joined international calls f or an immediate ceasefire and expressed hope that Georgia's ceasefire offer would be accepted without delay by Russia. In addition, he noted that Canada will continue to encourage diplomatic efforts with other interested parties to end the conflict. The priority for all authorities in the region should be to ensure the safety of the civilian populations affected by this crisis.
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