VOA标准英语2008年-EU Ministers Push for Cease-Fire Monitors in Ge

European Union foreign ministers expressed support Wednesday for sending monitors to supervise a cease-fire in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, which Georgia claims is already being violated by Russia. Lisa Bryant has more from Paris.
　
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana (l) and France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner at EU Council headquarters in Brussels, 13 Aug 2008

Backing for European Union peacekeepers to monitor the newly agreed upon truce¹ between Russia and Georgia came during an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who has been shuttling between the two countries in recent days to secure a cease-fire, said the 27-member bloc² was determined³ to act.

Kouchner says the idea of having monitors, or peacekeepers, was how Europe should conduct itself - to act on the ground and provide aid to people.

The EU meeting comes a day after President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, which holds the rotating EU presidency⁴, secured agreement by both Russian and Georgian leaders to abide⁵ by a cease-fire after several days of fighting in the breakaway region of South Ossetia and elsewhere in Georgia.

But news reports from Georgia suggested Russian forces continued to move into Georgian territory and Georgian Foreign Secretary Eka Tkeshelashvili said Russian troops continued to attack.

"But I can confirm with confidence that horrible events are happening in Georgia since the morning," Tkeshelashvili said. "No cease-fire is actioned now so that what is the trust that we can put on the Russian side."

Despite reaching agreement on monitors Wednesday, EU members have been divided over just how to deal with Russia. European analyst⁶ Robin⁷ Shepherd has been following the crisis for London-based policy institute Chatham House.

"There are definitely clear divisions among the member states and that's primarily because member states have different policies on Russia," Shepherd said. "You've got a group of member states that are worried about its muscular approach toward foreign policy issues. Then you've got the large member states who are really more keen to have a balanced relationship with Russia."

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he would recommend sending peacekeepers at the next EU foreign ministers meeting next month. More broadly, western nations back a multinational⁸ peacekeeping force in South Ossetia and in another Georgian breakaway province, Abkhazia, to replace Russian and Georgian troops there.

 

1 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

2 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

8 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。