EU/Georgia/Russia

Tbilisi welcomes Moscow pullout pledge

Article published on the 2008-09-08 Latest update 2008-09-09 09:17 TU

Sarkozy and Medvedev at the meeting
(Photo: Reuters/ Ria Novosti)

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says Russia's agreement to withdraw its troops from all of Georgia except South Ossetia and Abkhazia within a month is a start. Saakashvili met EU officials led by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Tbilisi Monday evening, after Sarkozy's talks earlier Monday with Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev.

Sarkozy, accompanied by the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and other EU officials, flew to Tbilisi after meeting Medvedev to meet Saakashvili, with whom Russia has refused direct contact since the beginning of the conflict.

After the meeting the Georgian president said that Russia's commitment to pull back its troops was only the beginning of a solution. 

"We are simply at the very beginning of this major task and there is still a lot to be done", said Saakashvili.

"We must continue to implement the European solution to reach a definitive solution respecting Georgia's territorial integrity and the principle of justice for our country and for our region," he said.

Medvedev said earlier Monday that there was no going back on Russia's recognition of the two breakaway regions but promised international talks on the future of the two regions would begin on 15 October.

"We made a choice for ourselves," said Medvedev. "This choice is final and irrevocable."

Medvedev said a complete withdrawal from zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia would take place ten days after the deployment of 200 observers from the European Union.

The pullout is significant because Russia is removing troops from the port areas of Georgia, including Poti. Georgian officials had asserted that Russian troops were considered occupiers.

The French EU presidency brokered an accord in August to end the conflict between Georgia and Russia, which Moscow has been accused of not honouring.

At the meeting in Tbilisi, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso expressed solidarity with Georgia, saying that the EU was ready to deepen its political and economic relations with Tbilisi.

Saakashvili announced that a summit to focus mainly on construction would take place next month in the Georgian capital with the participation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and representatives of international financial organisations.

In related news, Georgia on Monday accused Russia before the UN's International Court of Justice in The Hague of carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Georgian territory.

Russia meanwhile alleges that Georgia committed "genocide" with its assault on the town of Tskhinvali.