On 8 October, Russian forces started their final withdrawal from the areas adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia. On this occasion, Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), said that the co-operation with the Russian commanders was constructive and expressed his satisfaction with the evolution of the situation.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/declarations/103229.pdf

Solana on the Georgian crisis

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for CFSP, was invited to speak at a conference on 'National Interests and European Foreign Policy' in Berlin on 7 October. On Georgia, he said: 'The initiatives taken by the European Union, under the leadership of the French Presidency, were key to preventing further dangerous escalation. It is too early for final judgements at this stage. But over the last two months the EU has been crucial to establishing a path through the crisis, and providing the means, with the EU Monitoring Mission to doing so'. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/discours/103221.pdf

EU-Russia initiatives on the global financial crisis and on security issues were discussed during a 90-minute round of talks between Premier Vladimir Putin and Socialist members of the European Parliament in

Moscow.

http://www.socialistgroup.org/gpes/newsdetail.do?lg=en&id=99328&href=home

On 6 October, the EU-funded Twinning Project: 'Introduction and Development of Quality Management within the Ukrainian Police' was launched. The project has a value of €2 million and the twinning counterpart is the Ministry of Interior of the French Republic. The project will run until 2010 and will assist structural and police-specific reforms of the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior. It will also convey European knowledge and procedures of better recruiting, training and disciplining of police and interior troops personnel in Ukraine.

http://www.delukr.ec.europa.eu/files/pages/46569/4.pdf

Ukraine: support to young Roma people

A project aimed to provide assistance to unemployed, disabled and young Roma people in Zakarpattya region will end at the end of the year. As a result, 82 unemployed persons have successfully completed IT training courses; 72 persons have completed basic computer courses. Over 3,000 citizens received free legal, psychological and social consultations. The project also supported the establishment of the “Accord” network consisting of 20 NGOs from Western Ukraine.

http://www.delukr.ec.europa.eu/files/pages/46569/4.pdf

Promotion of European Standards in the Ukrainian Media Environment

A new project will help improve Ukrainian media legislation and harmonize it with the EU media law, enhance quality and standards of Ukrainian journalism and promote dialogue between civil society and local governance. The project will last 20 months, and include expert evaluations of Ukrainian media law, trainings and internships for Ukrainian journalists.