Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis yesterday stressed the importance of achieving a peaceful ceasefire in Georgia while praising French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his role at the helm of European Union efforts to diffuse the conflict.

“Violence is not a solution and is not acceptable,” Karamanlis said during a speech at a European Union summit in Brussels.

The summit culminated in a decision to postpone talks on a new EU-Russia partnership – due later this month – until Moscow withdraws its troops from Georgia. The Russian government later reacted to the decision with “regret.”

But Karamanlis stressed that the EU is keen to foster good relations with Moscow. “We agreed that Russia is an important partner for Europe and that we must maintain strong ties,” he said.

As regards Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, Karamanlis said the move had been condemned by the EU from the outset, adding that respect for the territorial integrity of sovereign states “is a basic aspect of Greek foreign policy.” Last month Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis expressed “concern and worry” over Moscow’s recognition of the two regions, a move Athens fears could set a precedent for the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.