ISTANBUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Georgia's Foreign Minister said on Sunday that European sanctions against Russia were not necessary, but called on Brussels to take steps to deter any further Russian aggression in the region. "For us it is not pivotal that Europe applies sanctions on Russia," said Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili at a news conference in Istanbul, one day before European leaders were due to meet in Brussels to discuss how to respond to Russia's intervention in Georgia. "We hope that Europe will undertake adequate steps to show Russia that it is no longer business as usual," she said. The minister did not elaborate. Tkeshelashvili said Russia had tried to redraw the boundaries of Europe when it intervened in Georgia following Tbilisi's attack on the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which is backed by Moscow. She said the European Union was responsible for maintaining the territorial integrity of Georgia and other states by deterring Russia from "undertaking actions of similar nature in other states." "We trust the wisdom and the courage of the European Union to undertake the best available steps for that," she said. EU leaders are set to issue a tough verbal condemnation of Moscow over Russian actions in Georgia, which included the bombing of military and civilian targets, but European heavyweights have blocked calls from most eastern European states for a tougher stance, including possible punitive action. EU President France brokered a peace deal to end the conflict that broke out earlier this month. But the Kremlin has since kept soldiers and equipment in undisputed Georgian territory, and moved to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia. (Reporting by Thomas Grove; editing by Tony Austin)
Igor Smirnov, self-styled president of Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria, speaks during a news conference in Tiraspol, August 31, 2008. Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria followed Russia's lead on Sunday by ...
