New Eu Talks Bring Russia in From Cold After Georgia Protest

European governments ended a two-month protest against Russia's invasion and partition of Georgia yesterday by agreeing to resume negotiations with the Kremlin on a new strategic pact.

Despite the resistance of Lithuania, which complained bitterly that Moscow was not complying with EU terms by refusing to fully return its military to positions before the war in Georgia erupted on August 7, foreign ministers of the other 26 EU states said the talks with Russia should take place.

The EU called off talks with Moscow on a new partnership and cooperation agreement in September because of the Caucasus crisis, and set conditions for their resumption.

Britain, the strongest critic in western Europe of Russian conduct in Georgia, denied yesterday that the end of the protest meant "business as usual" with Moscow.

"We can support resuming negotiations because we believe that the issues that will be covered are in the EU's interests," said a joint statement from David Miliband, the foreign secretary, and Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of Sweden, also a trenchant critic of the Kremlin.

Germany, France, Italy and the European commission have been keen to restart the negotiations with Moscow, and the decision is expected to be formally approved at a Russia-Europe summit on Friday.

British and other officials said a balance had to be struck in assessing the merits of negotiations with Russia on a wide range of interests. Despite the criticism of the Kremlin, EU countries are also disenchanted with the conduct of the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili.

"We have to admit that the trustworthiness of Tbilisi has suffered," said the Estonian defence minister, Jaak Aaviksoo. "Some countries clearly see that Georgia acted in an unpredictable way."

Strong reservations from some countries about restarting the talks were countered by the view that the EU was shooting itself in the foot by isolating Russia or encouraging individual EU states to strike bilateral deals with Moscow. Lithuania found itself isolated yesterday. The decision to resume negotiations did not require a consensus.

"We are not returning to business as usual, nor are we turning the page on the conflict in Georgia," said Miliband.

Russian leaders are to attend this weekend's global economic summit in Washington on the international financial crisis, the issue that Gordon Brown sees as the absolute international priority.

It appeared that the EU and Britain hoped to minimize the chances of Russian obstructionism on the financial crisis by agreeing to reopen the Europe-Russia pact talks.