Russia-Georgia Cease Fire Is Lost in Translation
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PARIS — The conflict between Russia and Georgia has been worsened by badly-translated French, France has admitted on the eve of crucial talks in Moscow between the European Union and the Kremlin.
Last month’s ceasefire agreement centered around the creation of “buffer zones” between Russia and the Georgian breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are now effectively controlled by the Kremlin. The agreement was brokered by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the E.U. presidency. But the original diplomatic coup became an embarrassment as Russia failed to move its troops out.
The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, told a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers this weekend that the ceasefire agreement was written in French before being translated into English and then Russian. Asked what problems surrounded the buffer zones, Mr. Kouchner replied: “The translation, as always.” Last month’s five-day conflict in Georgia cost hundreds of lives, with many more injured and made homeless.
Russia has redrawn the map of Europe and opened a new threatening chapter in its relations with the West. Mr. Sarkozy is due to begin talks in Moscow today about maintaining a lasting peace.
Troop withdrawal will be a key issue when he meets his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. Splits in both the E.U. and NATO have been exposed as a result of the Georgian conflict — America, Britain and some new E.U. members such as Poland have not found support for a tough stance against Russia.
One reason for the continuation of the conflict now appears to be a passage in the Russian translation of the agreement that speaks of security “for” South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The English version speaks of security “in” the two areas. The difference is crucial, because Russia continues to keep its tanks and armed troops “in” Georgian territory. The international community, in turn, wants security “for” South Ossetia and Abkhazia without the Russian army in Georgia.
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, agreed that the ceasefire wording made his country sound like an aggressor. He said the Georgian interpretation “contains a whole range of distortions.”
The farce is a huge blow to the French belief that theirs is a lingua franca, spoken and understood the world over.
